On my way to bed by Sarah Maizes
![cover image](https://www.readplus.com.au/covers/onmywaytobed.jpeg)
Ill. by Michael Paraskevas. Bloomsbury, 2014. ISBN 9780802723666.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Picture book, Bed time. A companion
volume to On my way to the bath (2013) this very funny tale
has Livi being exhorted to go to bed by her long suffering mother.
The voice outside the pages of the book gives the instructions,
Bedtime!, then the cajoling 'Come on Livi, time for bed', to the
instructive, 'Don't forget to brush your teeth', then the reminder
about school tomorrow and so on, until Mum comes in to find another
layer of excuses, a story to read, a glass of water, the door left
open.
Children will laugh out loud recognising the age old excuses given
not to go to bed just yet, and Mum's recurring instructions about
what to do.
The illustrations again give another story, as Livi's imagination
goes into overdrive as she plays with things in her room, rather
than go to bed. The expressions on the toy's faces are priceless,
and the little snippets of detail make this a fascinating book to
peruse the illustrations over again. The detail of the bed lamp, the
recurring frog, the line up of toys on her bed and so on, all add a
delicious layer of interest to the reader.
There are a several books about going to bed, and the routine of
sleeping. This book underlines the things which must be done before
going to bed, the interaction of mother and daughter, the repetition
of things done before retiring that all give a clear image of
routine and its importance in a child's life.
Fran Knight