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Saturday, November 10, 2018

Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy, written by Drew Daywalt and illustrated by Scott Campbell. Disney Hyperion, Hachette. 2018. $17.99 ages 3 and up

"Thanks for the water. 
You're welcome, Sleepy.
I don't think you're that 
freaky looking anymore. 
That's nice. I don't think
you are either. Now go to
sleep.
I can't. 
Why not?
I have to pee ... you know 
from all that water.
So go."

Speaking of turning the tables, or were we? Just the same ... that is exactly what Sleepy does in this story about Roderick, a child who 'hated going to bed." He uses many excuses - you have likely heard every last one of them. His parents cannot figure how to make bedtime easier, so they buy him a stuffed toy in hopes that Sleepy will do the trick.

Sleepy, with his eerie and unblinking eyes bewilders his new owner.

"Roderick decided to hide Sleepy.
He tried stashing him
on the bookshelf ...
behind the curtains ...
and even under his pillow ...
But no matter where Roderick put him,
he could FEEL Sleepy looking at him.
Finally, Roderick picked him up and
tossed him into the closet."

That's when he discovers that Sleepy has a voice. Readers will find Sleepy to be funny, and very sneaky - with his constant demands for water, the bathroom, brushing his teeth, a story or two. You see where we are going with this, right?

In the end, Roderick is just too tired to continue complying with Sleepy's demands. Mission accomplished!

With terrific dialogue and appealing text, this is a book that is going straight to my 'keepers' shelf. Cannot wait to share it! Scott Campbell ups the charm with his digitally enhanced watercolors that keep the humor and the many expressions up close and personal. Readers will get a real charge out of the relationship developed between Roderick and Sleepy, and the results when adding Sleepy to the bedtime routine.
                                                                           


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