YOU KNOW WHAT?

A loquacious child's chatter delays bedtime in this picture book from a Belgian publisher but by an American author.

It’s bedtime, but Oliver has a lot to say to his mother during his nighttime routine, starting at the very beginning when he says, “Mommy, you know what?...When I don’t flush the toilet, it smells stinky.” Mommy didn’t need this newsflash—she’s plugging her nose and pointing to the toilet and its stinky contents as she replies “Yes, I know.” This and the ensuing text is conveyed entirely in dialogue between mother and son, who appear to be of different races since Mommy has light skin and reddish-brown hair, while Oliver has darker skin and hair. None of his “You know what?” statements are particularly revelatory, rendering the text a slice-of-life depiction of one child’s bedtime routine. The ending is rushed, as a haggard Mommy looks at readers while hearing a final “Mommy! You know what?” The resolution to this final call comes, not with concluding text, but with a page turn to the endpapers showing Oliver fast asleep. While this provides a visual conclusion, the preceding text in its large type sets readers up for more. Readers will enjoy watching Oliver’s green toy T. Rex, which falls asleep along with him.

A good-night book that needs a bit more oomph in its ending in order to put it to bed.