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Summary
Summary
There it is.
Over there.
The big bed...
Am I ready?
#1 New York Times best-selling author Alison McGhee tells the tale of a child's first rite of passage - from the crib to the big bed. Ross MacDonald's glowing illustrations will comfort, amuse, and inspire toddlers and even their parents as they take this first big step together.
Author Notes
Alison McGhee is the New York Times bestselling author of Someday , as well as Dear Sister , Maybe a Fox with Kathi Appelt, Firefly Hollow , Little Boy , So Many Days , Star Bright , A Very Brave Witch , and the Bink and Gollie books. Her other children's books include All Rivers Flow to the Sea , Countdown to Kindergarten , and Snap! . She lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Laguna Beach, California. You can visit her at AlisonMcGhee.com.
Ross MacDonald 's illustrations have appeared in many magazines, including the New Yorker, Vanity Fair, Newsweek , and Time . He is also the author and illustrator of several children's books, including Another Perfect Day , which was a Publishers Weekly Best Book; Achoo! Bang! Crash! The Noisy Alphabet , which was a Publishers Weekly Best Book and a Nick Jr. Magazine Best Book; and, most recently, Bad Baby . Mr. MacDonald lives with his family in Connecticut. Visit his website at www.Ross-MacDonald.com .
Reviews (4)
School Library Journal Review
PreS-K-McGhee, a pro at addressing the qualms that often accompany important transitional events in children's lives, has done it again. This time, the hurdle is a little guy's move to his "big boy" bed. After his initial refusal to venture into what he sees as an enormous, child-eating monster, where he might get lost in the sheets, suffer frostbite, or never be heard from again, the child relents, first tossing his Red Blankie (might that someday be a cape?) and Big Pillow ahead as scouts. Seeing that they seem no worse for wear, he works up his courage (and his muscles), holds tight to his faithful stuffed sidekick, Baby Kitty, and takes the plunge himself. MacDonald's evocative art, so like his work in Another Perfect Day (Millbrook, 2002), employs the comic-book conventions, visual wit, and pulp-art palette fans know and love, and the animation in both the text and the pictures turns what might have been a ho-hum tale of trepidation into a proactive adventure with a winsome wee hero. A winner.-Kathy Krasniewicz, Perrot Library, Old Greenwich, CT (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publisher's Weekly Review
With some reluctance, a blond, blue-eyed boy graduates from his small but secure crib. McGhee (A Very Brave Witch) catches every fluctuation of the child narrator's voice as he wavers between confidence and hesitation. "I'm a big boy now. You know what that means," the boy announces, turning away from a proffered bottle and diaper. His stuffed animal, Baby Kitty, mirrors his no-thanks gesture, and the two flex their muscles to prove they're tough. On the other hand, the hero reflects, "Not every big boy wants to sleep in a big bed." Nearby, the bed's eye-like pillows glare, and its blanket drapes in a menacing frown. The boy and Baby Kitty take matters in hand, tossing familiar objects onto the mattress ("How is it over there, Big Pillow?") before making the leap. This sympathetic text has a big potential for preciousness, but MacDonald (Another Perfect Day) tamps it down with witty allusions to retro comics. Artful voice bubbles guide readers across the pages, while MacDonald's golds, chocolates and saturated blues suggest lithographed Sunday funnies. MacDonald's nostalgic imagery emphasizes the childhood rite of passage, demonstrating that a small move can be an act of bravado. Ages 2-6. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Horn Book Review
A concerned toddler lays out his big-bed dilemma in endearing, straightforward terms. Parental reassurance and the support of pal Baby Kitty help him make the switch. Old-fashioned-looking watercolor and pencil-crayon illustrations show the cherubic boy and his rosy-cheeked parents. Kitty's empathetic gestures provide the perfect touch of humor (though the teeth-bearing "monster bed" may be off-putting to hesitant toddlers). (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. All rights reserved.
Booklist Review
For children accustomed to a crib's nestlike confines, a traditional bed looks about as inviting as an expanse of tundra. This book's crib-bound hero starts off with a declaration: I'm a big boy now. But when it comes time to say Bye-bye, crib, he demurs, since that big bed might be a monster in disguise. But Mom and Dad insist, so the boy sends Red Blankie and Big Pillow to check things out, then accompanies a trusty stuffed animal to his new quarters. His sudden acquiescence doesn't seem founded on much, but kids will like the retro-style artwork, including elements drawn from superhero comics that hint at the bravery and bravado behind many childhood transitions. The portrayal of the big bed as a large double bed, as opposed to a more child-friendly kid's bed, may not boost enthusiasm for little ones' own big moves, but the boy's obvious pride will certainly help things along. For a look at another nighttime trouble spot, pull out Harriet Ziefert's Mommy, I Want to Sleep in Your Bed! (2005).--Mattson, Jennifer Copyright 2008 Booklist
