friday's five, the night time is the right time

Oh, hello there. What? It's been two weeks since anything has happened over here, you say? I know you were clamoring for book recommendations from me, or just any glimpse into my thoughts, so my sincere apologies. There was, um, a lot going on, you could say, but that's all a topic for another time. Keeping with the point of this post, let's just talk kidlit, shall we?

This week's theme was inspired by one of the weekly emails I get from my public library system highlighting kids' books. I put a few on hold that they recommended, and I had one out already that sorta fit, so here we are. Grab one of these and get ready for a bedtime story!

1. Stop That Yawn! written by Caron Levis and illustrated by LeUyen Pham

Travel from Sleepytown to Never Sleeping City with Gabby Wild and her grandmother in this adventurous romp of a book that blends graphic novel style illustrations into a picture book format for younger readers. The power of a one yawn is shown here as Gabby and her grandmother chase one down that's on the loose, going from one creature to the next. Will Gabby be able to stop it, or will she, her grandmother, and even YOU, the reader, be the next to succumb to its magic? Grab this one before tucking your little ones in for a little fun that leads to settling in for the night. 

2. Noisy Night written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Brian Biggs

In this apartment building, there are ten floors of activity that make for a silly story with a 'can you guess' component that is always fun during a group read-aloud. It's nighttime, but it would seem that these residents don't know or don't care, because every floor has someone or a group of someones making a racket, causing the person below them to wonder what is going on. With every page turn, another floor is explored until the top floor reveals one very grumpy resident. Will everyone get to bed eventually? Read this one for a few giggles before bed or nap time. 

3. The Night World written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

There is magic in the air when Sylvie the cat wakes her young owner, who doesn't know if it's too late or too early, but isn't accustomed to being awake, either way. Sylvie, however, is determined to get the child up and out of the house, and when they follow her outside, they're certainly rewarded. A menagerie of animals awaits outside, from deer to owls to foxes, raccoons, porcupines and more, and they're all excited for something that is imminent. The child doesn't know at first what they're all waiting for, but soon they see the sunrise, the cause of all the commotion, and it's beyond beautiful. The illustrations, which start in the night time as shades of black and gray, soon burst into bright colors with the arrival of the sun. Simply delightful.

4. The Midnight Library written and illustrated by Kazuno Kohara

Okay, I just want to gush for a bit about the perfection of this old-school feeling picture book, but I have a couple questions first. One, how am I not familiar with this author?? I need to rectify this immediately, and add many of their books to my personal library. Two, am I the only one reminded of Wanda Gág's style, as in Millions of Cats? With those out of the way, let me just say there is something about the simplicity and traditional pattern of this story that has hit me smack in the middle of my kidlit loving heart. I want to read this to a young child like immediately. I wish I had this with my own kids when they were older toddlers, because I imagine it would have been a favorite that got pulled off the shelf again and again, and I would have been there for that. I'd love to hear if anyone else knows this book and if it strikes them the same way!

5. Moon: A Peek-Through Picture Book written and illustrated by Britta Teckentrup

Okay, I'm doing it again-- featuring a book that I actually haven't seen myself, but I'm going by the description and the fact that I've adored several of Teckentrup's other pic books. Somehow, I haven't seen any of the other books in this "peek-through" series either, though I'll be looking for them at the library, for sure. Teckentrup's illustrations always appeal to me, and from the cover image, I'm already quite in love with that adorable fox family. The book description says that the cycles of the moon are featured here and that while it's a "light nonfiction" book, it makes for a lovely bedtime story. I'll be checking it out, and I'm confident suggesting you do the same.

Now, get those PJs on and get to reading. Sweet dreams!