Sleepyhead

by Karma Wilson, John Segal (Illustrator)

Overview

A sweet “I’m not ready for bed yet” tale is now available as a Classic Board Book!

Sleepyhead, Sleepyhead.
Good night, good night,
my Sleepyhead.

A kitten toddler is putting her favorite teddy bear to bed, just as her mother always tucks her in. But it’s really not bedtime until one more hug, one more kiss, one more snuggle, and one more story have been shared. And then, finally, it is time for sleepyheads everywhere to fall asleep.

With rhythmic text and whimsical illustrations, this bedtime story is available for the first time as a Classic Board Book.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781442434332
Publisher:	Little Simon
Publication date:	01/03/2012
Series:	Classic Board Books Series
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 5.90(h) x 0.80(d)
Age Range:	2 - 4 Years

About the Author

Karma Wilson is the bestselling author of several picture books, including the Bear Books series, Where Is Home, Little Pip?, and A Dog Named Doug. Karma lives in Montana.

John Segal has illustrated many books for children, including Kenneth Grahame's The Reluctant Dragon, retold by Robert D. San Souci, and The Musicians of Bremen by Jane Yolen. His drawings have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Gourmet, and Travel & Leisure, and he is an award-winning designer of greeting cards for the Museum of Modern Art. This is the first book he has both written and illustrated.

John Segal lives in New York City and has two children, Emily and Josh.

Editorial Reviews

It's bedtime and someone has a master procrastinator on her hands: "Your teeth are brushed,/ your book is read./ Go to sleep./ it's time for bed." Segal adds visual intrigue by casting the character in the caregiver role as a cat, and the title Sleepyhead as a teddy-like bear. Every time the feline points out that all the bedtime ritual bases have been covered, the cub retorts with a request for "one more" of something-a hug, a kiss, "one more story said just right/ one more gaze upon the night." Exhaustion finally wins, but not before giving readers plenty of opportunities for a goodnight giggle. Wilson's (Bear Snores On) rhyming, lilting narrative wryly captures the domestic brinkmanship. Expressive typography, which uses rising and falling font sizes, and even the spacing between words, gives voice to the caregiver's thinning patience and the cub's obstinacy. Segal's (Carrot Soup) velvety watercolors run an expertly paced gamut from tiny spot drawings to bravura full-bleed spreads. Their whimsical tone becomes more profound as it conveys how the cub's intractability fuels his imagination. When the cub insists on another drink of water, Segal portrays the feline clutching an outstretched glass as she tries to navigate a rowboat in an ocean, while Sleepyhead rides bareback on a swordfish. A fresh and funny take on a familiar battle of wills. Ages 3-7. (Oct.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

From the bestselling author of Bear Snores On, and other delightfully rhyming picture books, comes a charming new bedtime book. The story revolves around a child-like teddy bear and a kitten-like parent figure who is helping "Sleepyhead" prepare for bed. The problem is a familiar one to mothers and fathers of young children: Sleepyhead is resisting all efforts to settle down to sleep! After the nightly routine of brushing and flossing is past, Sleepyhead manages to extend bedtime with a gentle but insistent refrain of "one more": one more kiss, one more book, one more hug, and so forth. While the ending is no surprise, readers (big or little) will enjoy the way the story gets there. The rhymes are loving, rhythmic, and appropriately soothing. The spare text is set in an imaginative, bold blend of very small and very large typeface, at intriguing angles or on soft, arching curves. The full-color illustrations are done with whimsy, imagination, and graceful skill. Pastel interiors, landscapes, and the animals inhabiting them, strike a lovely balance between the real world and the world of dreams. The hardcover book is bound in reinforced binding to enable repeated readings—a sure thing whether read in a nursery, school, or library.

Children's Literature - Dianne Ochiltree

PreS-Gr 2-In this rhyming time-for-bed tale, a cat plays the role of adult and a teddy bear becomes the resistant youngster. With teeth brushed and story read, Sleepyhead is ready to be tucked in, but the bear procrastinates with pleas for "one more" book, cuddle, kiss, etc. Open picture books scattered across the floor and the images on a quilt provide inspiration for imaginary visual adventures as the youngster continues to put off the inevitable. Sleepyhead calls for "One more drink" while riding the waves on the back of a swordfish and "One more blanky" while floating on ice floes with penguins and walruses. Segal's stylized watercolor illustrations play with size to great effect. A close-up of Sleepyhead requesting "One more hug" with outstretched arms spans two pages. The fonts are appropriately small for the patient kitten's soothing phrases, "We've kissed our kiss, your quilt is spread," and grow larger for the "Go to sleep" directives. Children will relish the playful bedtime rituals. Expect requests for this book to be read "one more time."-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

A cat tries to get his teddy bear, Sleepyhead, to go to sleep in this rather mediocre effort. Cat and Sleepyhead follow the typical bedtime script: adult trying to stick to the routine; young child making all sorts of requests in order to delay. "We've kissed our kiss, your quilt is spread. Go to sleep. It's time for bed. One more kiss, says Sleepyhead." Subtle rhyme, a repetitive refrain and a gentle progression toward cuddles will help youngsters follow Sleepyhead to dreamland if they can ignore the disappointing illustrations (seemingly random changes in font size) and the text layout (normal on one page, wavy on the next). Segal's watercolor characters are lacking in facial expression and are tiny, swallowed by background details on the pages. Sleepyhead cleverly moves through a dream world suggested by the pictures on his quilt, but the youngest readers may not notice this subtle play. Bedtime deserves so much more than this. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews