Nothing will ready children for sleep better than reading them a book. Washington parent educators have chosen a story that will ideally serve the purpose — “Sleep Like a Tiger,” by Mary Ann Louge, as the Baby Buzz Pick for November.
Each month the parent group chooses an outstanding book for little ones birth to age 5. They then purchase additional copies of the book to use in their visits with parents and caretakers. For over five years, the group has partnered with The Missourian on the literacy project.
The following review was written by area literacy advocate Nancy Nagel.
“A little girl and her parents settle on a bedtime routine in this beautifully illustrated new children’s picture book. The parents gently handle a typical evening problem, their child’s resistance to going to bed, by making reasonable, small requests. First, they ask her to put her pajamas on. ‘I’m still wide awake,’ she announces.
“Her parents say that is fine. But she should wash her face and brush her teeth. The conversation continues as the parents answer the question, ‘Does everything in the world go to sleep?’
“The dog, cat, bats, bear, whale and tiger are all described and illustrated, until the young girl is tucked in bed and sound asleep. ‘ . . . then she snuggled deep as a bear, the deep-sleeping bear, and like the strong tiger, fell fast . . . asleep.’
“Caldecott Honor winner Pamela Zagarenski uses mixed media paintings on wood and computer illustration to depict the story line. The illustrations lend an exotic flavor to the story. The child and parents each wear a gold crown, the rooms are large and appear to be made of stone, as if in a castle, although there is no mention of the family’s royal status.
“This is an excellent book to share at bedtime. Its soft colors and gentle language set the stage for quieting, and relaxing. It also demonstrates a very effective technique for dealing with bedtime struggles.
“Most young children are reluctant to stop all the fun they are having just to go to bed. There are many books and other resources available to assist parents in this area. However, as the example of the parents in this book shows, taking it one step at a time can be very effective in coaxing a child to sleep.”
Other parent educator favorites this month are: “All the Awake Animals Are Almost Asleep” by Crescent Dragonwagon, “A Perfect Day” by Carin Berger, “Llama Llama Time to Share” by Anna Dewdney, “The Thankful Book” by Todd Parr and “Lots of Lambs” by Laura Numeroff.
