The Baby Who Stayed Awake Forever

Toddler-Gr 2–Frazzled families everywhere will find much to commiserate with in a story of a baby who simply won’t go to sleep! It’s 8:00 p.m. and time for bed. Mom, dad, and sister all wish Baby a good night. All seems peaceful and calm: “In the light of the moon, a little baby lay fast asleep.” Then on the next page: “HA! Yeah, right! Not this baby!” The story proceeds through the night, with wide-awake Baby gurgling, laughing, dancing, jumping up and down, and of course crying, while her family tries all they can to calm her down. Not even 17 binkies do the trick! The illustrations are primarily in dark, nighttime shades, which make the characters’ comical expressions stand out. The baby in particular, with wide open eyes and a toothy grin, is great fun, especially when she is shown having a dance party in her crib. Including the older sister in the family group trying to get the baby to sleep ensures that children with a new baby in the house are recognized as also being affected by this new situation. There is even a subtle lesson in telling time, as the hours (and minutes) are counted down on alternating pages. Characters are depicted with light to light-brown skin.