GOOD NIGHT, SLEEPY MOON
by Danielle McLean ; illustrated by Róisín Hahessy
A large brown bear puts a smaller bear to bed in this board-book offering with nearly circular pages.
The duo begins their nighttime routine by bidding birds and the sun each good night. Another grown bear wearing glasses, necklace, and eyelashes joins the scene, and the family says good night with a kiss and another bedtime story. Forgettable rhyming quatrains are spread out over two double-page spreads, with one word or phrase per line highlighted within a little cloud: “Good night, sleepy birds, / Singing softly in your nest. // We sleepy bears are going home. / It’s time for us to rest.” Hahessy’s endearing, pastel-toned illustrations have the look and feel of colored pencil, with circular panels superimposed on subtly striped backgrounds. The companion title, I Love You, Little Chick, follows the protagonist and a much larger but equally immature-appearing yellow bird celebrating spring and their love for each other on egg-shaped pages. Die cuts of a moon and an egg appear on each title, respectively. The bindings of both offerings do not look as though they will hold up to robust play or rambunctious readings, but the staggered pages, growing larger front to back, are a nice touch for little fingers.
A sentimental read for baby and caregiver (Board book. 6 mos.-3)