DON'T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE (PICTURE BOOK)

PICTURE BOOK

DON'T LET THE PIGEON STAY UP LATE by Mo Willems (Hyperion)
The willful hero of the award-winning DON'T LET A PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS is back and bleary eyed, but unwilling to take bedtime for an answer. It's not too late for a hot dog party,is it? How about a late night show...the pigeon says it's educational! Come on, five more minutes. "What's five minutes in the grand scheme of things!?" Pigeon tries every trick in the book, but can the reader persist and turn the pages to get him tucked in? Ever clever and canny, this may be my favorite Willems of all, really capturing a child's desperation to stay in the alluring late-night mix but fading fast. The pigeon's subtle yawns may be contagious, and the slow, gentle darkening of the pages in this mercifully short bedtime book is just what we need to send our little ones off to dreamland with smiles on their faces...and ours. (4 and up)

Also of interest:
If you like Mo Willem's interactive style in which the child reader is directly engaged by the narrator, you'll also love DON'T MAKE ME LAUGH by James Stevenson (Farrar Straus and Giroux) and the great reissue of the 1970's side-splitting Sesame Street favorite, THE MONSTER AT THE END OF THIS BOOK by Jon Stone (Golden). (4 and up)
And there are two new bedtime books out worth staying up late over:
SO SLEEPY STORY by Uri Shulevitz(Farrar Straus Giroux) The latest by a Caldecott honoree arguably in the the caliber of Maurice Sendak, this repetitious, drifting and dreamlike refrain reads like an homage to Margaret Wise Brown's GOODNIGHT MOON. (3 and up)
ROAR OF A SNORE by Marsha Diane Arnold,illustrated by Pierre Pratt (Dial) Not all bedtimes are quiet! This cumulative tale goes out of the house and into the barn to see who's making all that noise. Extra snuggly! (4 and up)
A gentle reminder FYI: there are instructions for a Storytime Sleepover Party (and fundraiser!) on pages 78-80 in my guide HOW TO GET YOUR CHILD TO LOVE READING.

On a personal note
I will be appearing at Barnes & Noble in Evanston, IL, 1630 Sherman Avenue, 847.424.0993, this Saturday (tomorrow) October 7th at 8:30 a.m. (yes, that's in the morning) to speak about my new book VIVE LA PARIS in conjunction with their educator's programming. Call to reserve a spot! If you're in the area, I'd love to see you!

Links are provided for informational use. Don't forget to support your local bookseller.