Time for Bed, Old House

Starred review from August 1, 2021

PreS-Gr 2-There are many ways to get a child ready for bedtime, from a simple story and lights out to other, more serious efforts at creativity. Isaac is excited to spend time with his grandfather, but nervous about sleeping away from home for the first time. Clever Grandpop has the just the right idea to ease the child's fears. He asks him to help put the house to bed first. Although Isaac has little idea what that means, he carefully follows the older man's lead. Together, they walk quietly through the house, enter each room, gently close window shades, and turn off lights to make the old house "dark and cozy." Along the way, Grandpop explained each click, squeak, and creak Isaac hears, telling him, "This old house makes sleepy sounds, just like you." The realistic illustrations of Grandpop's old house, its interior, and the outside landscape make this tale even more tender. The art is as charming and endearing as Isaac and Grandpop's bedtime adventure. VERDICT The rituals of bedtime, as encompassing and timeless as the bonds between generations, elevate a simple tale and make it an essential purchase for every collection.-Maegen Rose, Rye Country Day Sch.,

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from August 30, 2021
Bates delivers a heartfelt, affirming multigenerational narrative centering Isaac, a Black boy nervous for “his first sleepover at Grandpop’s house.” As the duo’s board game winds down, Isaac protests that he’s not tired. “ ‘Then stay awake,’ Grandpop said. ‘But it’s time to put the house to bed,’ ” thus beginning a tender journey that assuages Isaac’s worries about the old house’s clicks, squeaks, and creaks. As Snuffles, Grandpop’s old Airedale, follows, grandfather and grandson prepare the home for bedtime, from closing its blinds to reading it a bedtime story. Warm, atmospheric watercolor illustrations by Ford present a rich variety of angles and finely rendered detail, such as the bedtime story’s cover of Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. This touching, expertly paced bedtime tale will resonate with anyone who’s had a sleepover or experienced fright in a new place, and serves as a soothing testament to a compassionate grandparent-grandchild relationship. Ages 3–7.

September 1, 2021
Can you put a house to bed? Grandpop can. Isaac, a young Black boy who is happily visiting his grandfather -- but reluctantly sleeping over -- says he isn't sleepy when Grandpop tells him it's time for bed. "Then stay awake," Grandpop quips, "but it's time to put the house to bed." As they walk through each room, turning off lights and closing windows, Isaac hears unfamiliar noises that Grandpop explains, allaying the child's fears. The clicking sound is just pet dog Snuffles, the Airedale, following them; the creaking is the wind blowing the swings around outside. In Ford's rich-hued, warm-toned illustrations, books appear in nearly every room of the house, highlighting the centrality of literacy to this family and foreshadowing what will come next. The two settle into a big comfy chair near Isaac's bed, and when Grandpop suggests a bedtime story, Isaac protests that he hasn't yet learned to read. "I bet you can read pictures...Just tell me what you see on each page." And he does. The accompanying illustration suggests that Keats's The Snowy Day is that bedtime story, a mirror book for Isaac; but unlike that book, African American creators crafted this story, and Ford (Brown Baby Lullaby, rev. 3/20) celebrates Black joy with close-ups of Isaac's deep brown face, button nose, and locked or twisted hair. A fine, uplifting intergenerational tale of literacy, literature, and homemade love. Michelle H. Martin

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)

Starred review from August 15, 2021
Isaac loves spending time at Grandpop's house, but is he brave enough for a sleepover? Isaac is at Grandpop's for his first sleepover. However, when night falls, Isaac seems hesitant to go to bed. When he tells Grandpop that he isn't ready for sleep, Grandpop introduces him to a new ritual of saying goodnight to the house, explaining, "First, you move kind of quiet and slow." This sentence sets the transition for both readers and Isaac as movements and sounds are described as "soft" and "cozy"--perfect words for snuggling in. As Isaac, Grandpop, and Snuffles the Airedale move through the house turning off lights and lowering shades, Isaac notices noises that make him afraid, but Grandpop is there to comfort him and explain the house's "sleepy sounds." Before turning in, he reads the pictures of a book to Grandpop, who drifts off in the armchair, bravely says goodnight to the rest of the house, and reads his book to his teddy bear. In no time, Isaac, Grandpop, and Snuffles are fast asleep. Ford's illustrations of this loving Black duo within the comfy, older house are warm and tender. The rich honey-brown, gold, and blue hues are natural choices for a bedtime book. Isaac's first-sleepover story is honest and one that young children will appreciate; adult readers will find it nostalgic. A delightful multigenerational story, perfect for bedtime or anytime a child is afraid. (Picture book. 3-6)

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July 1, 2021
Can you put a house to bed? Grandpop can. Isaac, a young Black boy who is happily visiting his grandfather -- but reluctantly sleeping over -- says he isn't sleepy when Grandpop tells him it's time for bed. "Then stay awake," Grandpop quips, "but it's time to put the house to bed." As they walk through each room, turning off lights and closing windows, Isaac hears unfamiliar noises that Grandpop explains, allaying the child's fears. The clicking sound is just pet dog Snuffles, the Airedale, following them; the creaking is the wind blowing the swings around outside. In Ford's rich-hued, warm-toned illustrations, books appear in nearly every room of the house, highlighting the centrality of literacy to this family and foreshadowing what will come next. The two settle into a big comfy chair near Isaac's bed, and when Grandpop suggests a bedtime story, Isaac protests that he hasn't yet learned to read. "I bet you can read pictures...Just tell me what you see on each page." And he does. The accompanying illustration suggests that Keats's The Snowy Day is that bedtime story, a mirror book for Isaac; but unlike that book, African American creators crafted this story, and Ford (Brown Baby Lullaby, rev. 3/20) celebrates Black joy with close-ups of Isaac's deep brown face, button nose, and locked or twisted hair. A fine, uplifting intergenerational tale of literacy, literature, and homemade love.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)