Chicken Bedtime Is Really Early Book

Everyone resists bedtime-even barnyard animals

" 'A story, a story!' the young bunnies roar. And just as it ends, all the bunnies beg: 'More!' " Sound familiar? It turns out no one wants to go to sleep, not the chickens, bunnies, sheep, or fishes in this clever bedtime romp. Each animal has a different bedtime and a different strategy for staying up all night. Clocks hidden in the bright, bold illustrations help kids brush up on their time-telling skills as this evening on the farm winds down and eyes finally drift shut. In the morning, at the crow of the rooster, an exciting new day begins and everyone is glad to have the energy to greet it. A surefire read-aloud bedtime hit from two exciting newcomers.

Author Bio: Erica S. Perl works at Harvard University on the Harvard Children's Initiative, an interdepartmental effort to improve the plight of children in the community and the world. George Bates has done illustration work for Nickelodeon, Frank Zappa, and Big magazine. He teaches at Parsons School of Design and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Publishers Weekly

In this first book for both Perl and Bates, bedtime is a fluid concept. For chickens, lights out is 6 p.m.-hence the title. Fish hustle their young ones off to bed at nine and still meet with considerable resistance: "Then some of the little fish sons and fish daughters,/ Ask, `Why can't I have just one more glass of water?' " Then there's hamsters, who really march to a different circadian drummer-achieving "their hamstery best" at midnight, and falling asleep when the rest of the world is waking up. Working with a warm, jewel-toned palette, Bates (a veteran graphic designer), gives his pictures the nubby texture of paper towels; the homespun effect makes his cast of stylized, slightly goofy animals (which also includes cows, sheep, rabbits and frogs) all the more endearing. Kids and adults alike will get a kick out of the visual jokes: a chick conscientiously flosses its beak, a bleary-eyed rabbit parent clutches a morning cup of coffee. As for Perl's versifying, it's perfectly pitched for young ears, combining puns ("No more carping!" the fish dads warn their recalcitrant offspring), simple rhymes, silly words and repetition to achieve a satisfying snappiness. It's hard to imagine lines like "It's time for each one of the buns-dads and mommies,/ To put their young rabbits in footy pajamies" wearing out their welcome anytime soon. A double debut that's double the fun. Ages 3-6. (Mar.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.