FORTY WINKS

You thought your family’s bedtime rituals were complicated! Meet Mama and Papa Wink—and their 38 young mouselings.

The elder Winks share parental duties. First, they rustle up a bedtime snack. “Some sipped and some slurped, / some gobbled and burped, / while others said ‘thank you’ and ‘please.’ ” Bathtime and “snug-fuzzy flannels and caps” come next, then “every small Wink scamper[s] off to the sink, / brushing and flossing in pairs.” The text relates that “they were each read a book (what a long time that took!).” It takes so long that Mama reads “ ’til she snooze[s] a wee snore.” After prayers, “some curled with blankies / (a few had the crankies), / but each babe was tucked in just right.” Until…Moe squeaks for a drink, and then, of course, all 38 need one last cup of water. Finally, in a series of illustrations of adorable, snuggling mice abed, the 40 Winks sleep, and sleep, and sleep until “It’s time to start over again!” With the soothing rhythm of an old-time nursery rhyme, alliteration, and end and internal rhymes, this makes for a fun read-aloud. Detailed illustrations capture the energy of this busy family, and clothing choices, postures, and expressive faces make each of the 40 Winks distinctive—so much so that, on the last spread, the challenge to name each unlabeled Wink is achievable. (This book was reviewed digitally.)

A fun twist of a familiar phrase and a delightful new bedtime tale.