Good night, me by Andrew Daddo

Ill. by Emma Quay. Hachette, 2015. ISBN 9780734415851
(Age: Toddler) Recommended. Board book. Night time. Sleep. Encouraging a small child to go to sleep is made easier with this reprint of Daddo's winning story of bed time. Used as the focus book in the 2006 National Simultaneous Storytime, Andrew's website gives information about how the story came to be.
The simplicity of its evolution is matched by the deceptive simplicity of its telling, as the child going to bed must say goodnight to each of its body parts. So goodnight is said to its feet, then knees, then legs, tummy and so on, until its nose is reached and then finally good night. Each part drops off to sleep shown beautifully by the pencil and watercolour illustrations, beginning with an enthusiastic moving child to one bedded down with a sheet over the top, ready to sleep until morning.
Reading this tale will encourage a child to hunker down with the story and be part of the illustrations as they go from movement to stillness, from alert to drowsy, then sleep.
The use of a baby orangutan is wonderful as young children will immediately be enthralled at the contrast of an animal and a baby, noting the clothing, the sheet and pillow. The illustrations give the story another level of interest to readers as the orangutan is shown in all sorts of poses in its bed.
First published in 2005, this publication as a board book will ensure it is read over and over again by the target audience.
Fran Knight