Review:
Sleep tight, my honey by Lisa Shanahan
Ill. by Wayne Harris. Hachette,
2008.
(Ages: 3+) Alice is a gorgeous bunny, but she just won't go to sleep at
nights. Lily and Monty do everything they can think of to get her to
sleep. They consult Grandma who advises them to sing a lullaby,
Tortoise, who suggests putting her into a shell, and Possum who thinks
she needs a big hairy pouch. Butterfly believes that a cocoon would do
the trick and Bat is convinced she needs to sleep upside down. Nothing
works, until Lily finds the perfect solution!
Young children who have a baby in the house will know about the noise
that can keep everyone awake at night. Shanahan has written a story
with a memorable refrain: 'Sleep tight, my honey, You gorgeous bunny'.
Children will enjoy repeating this as well as making the crying
Waaa
waaa noises that baby Alice makes. Along the way they will
incidentally
learn about the nocturnal habits of many animals.
The illustrations by Wayne Harris are a delight, with beautiful
lavender, blue, yellow and pale orange colours. Alice has an engaging
grin on her little face during the day and a wide-open mouth to show
her displeasure about being left alone at night. The Rabbit family is
portrayed as a warm and caring extended family, where love is very
evident.
This is a book that pre-schoolers will enjoy, and that adults will love
to read aloud.
Pat Pledger
Home
© Pledger
Consulting, 2007