MOMMY, I WANT TO SLEEP IN YOUR BED!

A sweet nighttime routine is followed by tears when Charlie can’t sleep in his own bed—he doesn’t know how. The bedtime ritual begins by covering the birdcage: “Good night, sleepy parakeet.” The pet bunny is next, then the baby. Each gets tucked into its own bed and kissed good night. Then Mommy and Daddy go to bed, too. But Charlie winds up crying outside their door with a request familiar to all parents: “I want to sleep in your bed.” Both of his parents try to get him to sleep, but ultimately Charlie finds sleep on his own—in helping his bedtime friend get to sleep, he is his own Sandman. Kreloff’s crayon drawings are childlike—simple block figures, uneven lines, imperfect shading. But they suit the mood and topic perfectly, capturing the facial expressions of the loving parents and the distraught child. The focus is placed on objects that universally mean bedtime—moon and stars, nightlights, beds, pajamas and stuffed toys. A perfect read before falling asleep. (Picture book. 2-5)