Tuck-in Time

PreS—A stuffed bunny cavorting on the endpapers as well as a puppy, bunny in its mouth, standing guard by a bed in the following scene, usher children into this delightful bedtime ritual. Mom is tucking her little one in for the night by engaging the youngster in activities identifying body parts. "'I see two little ears/that I want you to tweak,'" she says, and the child touches both ears. Movements become more energized as the toddler, following instructions, flaps arms, flies like a bird in mom's arms, stands to expose a chubby tummy, and lies down, waving legs and toes in the air. Finally, after bending in two for a back rub with toy bunny providing a gentle tickle, the tot, "all tuckered out," is ready for bed. "But wait…/We can't forget this…." Of course, tucking-in wouldn't be complete without a loving hug and kiss. The large watercolor illustrations, executed in a soft pastel palette, depict a lively tyke with a stuffed bunny and floppy-eared dog. The pup is often shown mirroring the toddler's actions: lying with its belly exposed as the child's tummy is revealed, for example. Mom, at first invisible or in partial view, fills the last pages as she enfolds her child in a warm embrace. Parents can pair this offering with Emily Winfield Martin's Dream Animals: A Bedtime Journey (Random, 2013) to send their wee ones on an irresistible trip to the land of nod.—Marianne Saccardi, formerly at Norwalk Community College, CT