Go Sleep in Your Own Bed

Night has fallen on the farm and, as in many human households, none of the animals wants to sleep in its own bed. Pig's plan to get shut-eye in his sty is thwarted when he discovers Cow sleeping there. Cow is admonished, but after she trudges to her stall, her derriere lands on Hen. And so it goes. The only animal who doesn't have to settle for her assigned bed is Cat, who gets a plum spot indoors, snuggled up with her young caretaker. Nichols's (Maple & Willow's Christmas Tree) digitally colored ink cartoons humorously capture that distinctly after-hours sense of annoyance--there are a lot of furrowed brows and angrily pointed hooves. Fleming (Giant Squid) punctuates her text with plenty of crowd-pleasing refrains, remarks, and repetition: along with the title, each animal intruder emits a species-specific cry upon discovery and a distinctive grumble ("Oh, baaah-ther!" whines Sheep). No rationale is given for this jumbling game of musical beds, and readers won't care one bit. Ages 3-7. Author's agent: Ethan Ellenberg, Ethan Ellenberg Agency. Illustrator's agent: Joanna Volpe, New Leaf Literary & Media. (May)

PreS-Gr 1—Day is done, and the farm animals quietly take to their beds to get some much-needed rest. Pig toddles off to his sty, with all its glorious mud and slop, but finds a cow in his spot. -Go sleep in your own bed!- Pig demands. Cow clompety-stomps to her stall, but there she startles awake a squawking hen. Banished from Cow's stall, Hen enters her coop to find a horse sound asleep! What is going on here? Young readers will chuckle as they encounter one misplaced creature after another. A horse should not be in the henhouse, for heaven's sake! Anticipating which animal will be in the wrong bed next leads children on, as will the imaginative language each animal spouts. The horse whickers, -Oh, w-w-w-h-o-o-o-a is me,- while the sheep complains, -Oh, baaah-ther!- Ultimately, the cat, who takes shelter in its human's bed at the end, makes this story deeply satisfying. Everyone has a place to sleep at last. The twilight palette of muted blues, greens, and browns provides a snug, sleepy background throughout. VERDICT The playful language, the farm animals, the cozy illustrations, and the twist on the time-to-go-to bed theme make this a standout for drowsy bedtime reading. Children will love it.—Joan Kindig, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, VA

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.