BY THE LIGHT OF THE MOON

A little fawn is coaxed into bed.

The moon has risen over the forest, and the woodland creatures are preparing for bed. But Little Deer doesn't want to go to bed. Mother and child walk through the woods, the mother pointing out that skunks, squirrels, beavers, and foxes all go to sleep, and the fawn should too. “Do skunks go to bed when told by their mamas?” asks Little Deer. Mother responds, “Yes, without fussing—in stripy pajamas.” The animals are lightly anthropomorphized, smiling sweetly into one another’s eyes on every page. The rhyming couplets and warm blue- and green-toned illustrations go a long way to lulling little readers to rest, making this a particularly effective bedtime book. The illustrations also employ a painterly quality and soft focus that enhance the book’s soporific quality. The narrative is deliberately paced to indulge little yawns and eye rubs between page turns.

A winsome addition to the bedtime-storybook stack.