SLEEPYHEAD

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)