Revving up for Bedtime: RACE CAR DREAMS and MORE

Nothing reveals the wide range of tot-temperaments as clearly as bedtime. Some wind down willingly with a warm bath, a snuggle, and a sleepy-headed story. For others, the setting sun triggers escalating energy requiring a very different bedtime book from the likes of GOOD NIGHT MOON.  

Running Press Kids, 2016

For those whose motors rev instead of idling at sundown, RACE CAR DREAMS might lure the speedsters into bed long enough to listen to a story a time or two through, gradually idling into their own dreams. 



Written by Sharon Chriscoe and illustrated by Dave Mottram, Race Car is reluctant to leave the track but makes eventually its way into the car wash then rolls on down the road to park under the reading tree. 

Interior Spread, used with permission

The car, its ever-present buddy, Wrench, and even the scrub brush are personified with simple but appealing expressions. With generally solid rhyming text the gradual transition to sleep plays out in night-hued backgrounds under starry skies. Race Car finally succumbs to sleep when his tires literally fold under him, not unlike some bedtimers whose legs must give out before they finally let their eyelids droop. 
It's no surprise when Race Car dreams and finds itself right back on the track, winning the race at the checkered flag. Speedway fans will especially enjoy the topic-related vocabulary.

Alfred A. Knopf, 2016

A similarly energetic cast of characters make an appearance in 10 LITTLE NINJAS, the August release written by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Nate Wragg. Both a counting book and a bedtime book, the gradually diminishing and diverse horde of ninja-astronaut-adventurer-role-players resists bedtime successfully until a mom-figure repeatedly puts a halt to their persistent pursuits. 
The crisply-rhymed text, exuberant antics, humorous  patterns, and role-specific vocabulary make it a rich source for repeated readings. This one could be especially helpful in multi-child households.  

Chronicle Books, 2011

There's no more important time than bedtime to match the right book to the right interest, and the success of other specialized titles demonstrate that the market can support well-done offerings. Author Sherri Duskey Rinker and  illustrator Tom Lichtenheld prove that with GOODNIGHT, GOODNIGHT, CONSTRUCTION SITE and STEAM TRAIN, DREAM TRAIN.

Chronicle Books, 2015

As long as the there are kids who need to sleep (Hmm, could that define infinity?) there will be a need for bedtimes books with special themes and varied characters. The common thread of rhyming text, deep-hued and soothing backgrounds (even when portraying energized events), and word choices that are both repetitive and engaging make all of the above worth a try in any household.
RACE CAR DREAMS and 10 LITTLE NINJAS could be your best bedtime friends. Give them a try.

Here's the blog tour schedule for RACE CAR DREAMS to check out what others think about that recent release:

9/6 My Word Playground

9/7 MomReadIt

9/8 Unleashing Readers

9/9 Once Upon a Time…

9/10 Stacking Books

9/11 Geo Librarian

9/12 Flowering Minds

9/13 Unpacking the POWER of Picture Books

9/14 Little Crooked Cottage

9/14 MamaBelly

9/15 #kidlit Book of the Day

9/16 Just Kidding