It's bedtime for Little Critter and Little Sister--but something always keeps Little Sister awake, whether it's a lumpy bed or a missing stuffed toy and blankie. So Little Critter tries to lull her to sleep with a series of funny short tales. Will she ever drift off to dreamland? Beloved author and illustrator Mercer Meyer tackles this age-old dilemma with his trademark humor and rollicking antics in a picture book all parents and children will relate to.
Mercer Mayer is an American children's author and illustrator. He has published over 300 books, using a wide range of illustrative styles. Mayer is best known for his Little Critter and Little Monster series of books.
Usually we're big fans of Mercer Mayer, but this time, all the things we liked about Mayer weren't there. It was way too long to hold the attention of my preschoolers, and the words took up more space than the pictures, which were tiny. Also, these pictures didn't have the cute little mouse and spider that always follows little critter around, and my twin 3 yr old's couldn't understand why they couldn't find them. The plot was slow and tedious and we barely made it to the end of the book.
Love this! But maybe a tad bit too long for a bedtime story book. Actually, I think this particular story is too long for a preschool age kid. I found myself saying “okay, be done already.”
There are three stories within this one story. All well written, I just think two within the one would have been enough.
As the mother of a toddler I can completely relate to the whole "but I am not tired thing"....and of course the stalling....normally I am the one who ends up asleep while my kid is sitting there staring at me like "Did she just pass out on me?" So I read this story to my daughter and I think she saw herself in the Little Sister role because of the comments she was making. I could also tell that she was getting frustrated with that character as well because she kept mentioning that the "sister NEEDS to go to sleep." Yes, my child....she does....maybe you should follow your own advice.
Took us 2 nights to finish this storybook. That's always a good sign when it comes to bedtime stories. My two year old enjoyed the pictures and occasionally asked questions which is always a good sign.