Bedtime, Not Playtime!

Submitted by ValentinaLy on
Author
Lawrence Schimel
Illustrated by
Elīna Brasliņa
Victoria, BC: Orca, September 2021
16 pp., board book, pdf & epub, $10.95 (bb)
ISBN
9781459826731 (bb)
9781459826748 (pdf)
9781459826755 (epub)
Grades
Preschool
Ages
Birth-age 2
Review by
Courtney Crocker (Reviewed from Advance Reading Copy)
Excerpt

I yawn real wide. It’s time for bed. But Rex wants to play instead!
I brush my teeth and wash my face. Rex tries to play a game of chase.
My daddies read my favourite book.
I know it by heart – no need to look.

A young girl is getting ready for bed, but her dog wants to play. Rex is a distracting puppy doing everything he can to get her attention. He tries to play chase, takes her teddy bear and even hides under the table. After all the commotion, Rex and her two daddies fall asleep and the girl is left to get to sleep on her own. She counts her sheep with her teddy bear until she falls asleep.

Bedtime, Not Playtime! is a sweet and simple story made even sweeter with a sprinkle of inclusion. The two daddies in this story are not the focus. They remain in the background throughout the book. The book’s subtle message, that families come in all shapes and sizes, is appreciated. Parents, guardians and care givers will fall in love with this book.

Illustrator Elīna Brasliņa has a unique style. Her pictures are bold and fun. As in every good picture book, these illustrations are essential to telling the story. Young readers will fall in love these striking illustrations.

If you’re looking for a board book that covers diversity and inclusion, you should consider adding Bedtime, Not Playtime! to your home or school library as it ticks all the boxes.

Highly Recommended
Reviewer

Courtney Crocker is the Regional Librarian for Central Division with Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries. She lives in Gander, Newfoundland.