October 15, 2015
An adventurous bedtime story is filled with imagination and a child's keen excitement in vehicular transportation. With his first lines--"A bed. A boy. His daddy"--Reynolds creates the atmosphere, setting, and characters who are going to set free their imaginations and provide ample opportunity to showcase a particular dynamic of father-son relations. The father is ready to tuck his son into bed and asks him, "Bedtime?"--to which the son replies excitedly, "Not yet!" They soon start to re-create scenes with the boy's toys, bed, and different objects located in his bedroom. From a train station where the boy is the conductor to a space shuttle where he is an astronaut, young readers will be engaged in learning about transportation and those responsible for operating different types of vehicles. It surely will inspire children to explore their own imaginations and re-create the assorted scenarios. Yamada's digital illustrations amplify the creativity of this duo, offering detailed images of the child's bedroom as it becomes a sort of infinite and diverse playground. The pair are both Caucasian, the son's eyes bright blue and oversized, almost manga-style. With its simple, declarative text and lively illustrations, this is an ideal story for transportation-themed storytimes or for launching kids to bedtime...maybe later rather than sooner. (Picture book. 2-5)
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March 1, 2016
PreS-Gr 1-In typical bedtime fashion, this boy does not want to go down when it's time. He would much rather imagine being a train conductor, a jet pilot, a race car driver, and so on. With each page turn, he invents a different scenario, until he finally tuckers himself out and gives in to sleep. The spare text allows for imaginative interpretation, which is what drives the story. Digitally rendered illustrations pop on mostly white backgrounds and serve to depict the imaginings of the boy. VERDICT Children and parents alike will be able to relate to the slight struggle and silly shenanigans that come as bedtime nears.-Emily E. Lazio, The Smithtown Special Library District, NY
Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
January 1, 2017
"'Bedtime?' 'Not yet.'" A boy and his daddy go on a series of quick adventures before bed. Each new imaginative spree builds to a turn of the page: "A race car...a driver... / his pedal-to-the-metal!" The simple patterned text and cheerful digital illustrations capture the joy of imagination--and the challenge of turning it off to go to sleep.
(Copyright 2017 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)