Petey's Bedtime Story

by Beverly Cleary, David Small (Illustrator)

During his usual bedtime routine when Mommy and Daddy are just a little too tired, Petey comes up with his own version of the story about what happened the day he was born. Reissue.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

32 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1993

About the author

Beverly Atlee Cleary was an American writer of children's and young adult fiction. One of America's most successful authors, 91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide since her first book was published in 1950. Some of her best known characters are Ramona Quimby and Beezus Quimby, Henry Huggins and his dog Ribsy, and Ralph S. Mouse.
The majority of Cleary's books are set in the Grant Park neighborhood of northeast Portland, Oregon, where she was raised, and she has been credited as one of the first authors of children's literature to figure emotional realism in the narratives of her characters, often children in middle-class families. Her first children's book was Henry Huggins after a question from a kid when Cleary was a librarian. Cleary won the 1981 National Book Award for Ramona and Her Mother and the 1984 Newbery Medal for Dear Mr. Henshaw. For her lifetime contributions to American literature, she received the National Medal of Arts, recognition as a Library of Congress Living Legend, and the Laura Ingalls Wilder Medal from the Association for Library Service to Children. The Beverly Cleary School, a public school in Portland, was named after her, and several statues of her most famous characters were erected in Grant Park in 1995. Cleary died on March 25, 2021, at the age of 104.

Reviews

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Awww. This one was cute. Petey likes to hear his birth story when he goes to bed. He knows it by heart, so he tells his version and puts his exhausted parents to sleep. Cute as a button.

[Allison Renner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book so I was looking forward to reading it. Beverly Cleary has a magic touch with picture books, just as she does with chapter books. She makes characters that are overflowing with personality, even if they're just one-off characters instead of developed over a series.

Petey is a toddler who doesn't mind getting ready for bed. He knows he'll get to hear bedtime stories, so he's always good in the bath and putting on his pjs. His mom reads him one bedtime story, but Petey isn't tired yet. His dad reads him another, but Petey still isn't tired. He decides to tell his sleepy parents his favorite bedtime story - the one about the night he was born! Except the way Petey tells it makes it way more adventurous than it actually was.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, I rolled my eyes at the premise of Petey's Bedtime Story and then got totally sucked in. Cleary, Beverly has this knack for making tiny stakes feel huge, like a fight over a borrowed jacket that turns into a fight about everything. By the end I was low-key invested in people I'd have avoided at a party. Pacing drags a bit around the halfway mark, but it picks back up. Read it if you like quiet, character-heavy drama. Skip it if you need action to stay awake.

[Yousseif Abdellatif · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not gonna lie, Petey's Bedtime Story is the first book in months that made me put my phone down. Beverly Cleary writes with a steady, quiet confidence that pulls you in without any tricks. The ending is softer than I wanted. Perfect for distracted readers like me, rough for anyone who needs a big finish.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Picture book. It's not my favorite picture book, but it's alright. The parents struggle to get Petey to bed, but then eventually he puts his parents to sleep by retelling the story of his own birth. It was a bit weird.

[Pinky · Rating 3 out of 5]

Petey loves his bedtime routine which ends with a story of how he was born and an empty cookie box.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't know Beverly Cleary had any picture books. We picked this up at the library and my 7 year old read it to himself in the car. He thought it was so funny that he wanted to read it to me later. (And he typically tells me that he doesn't like reading out loud, so I was pleased to let him read to me). It was a fun story, though a tad long for a picture book. My son loved the pictures.

[Helen · Rating 5 out of 5]

For me, the pinnacle achievement of this Beverly Cleary picture book were the illustrations. As energetic, enthusiastic, ADHD Petey races tirelessly through his beloved bedtime rituals, the illustrations show modern, exhausted, overworked parents, who have clearly lost all patience with their son as he refuses to go to bed. Made me laugh every time I read it.

[Tricia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not to discount the author, but this book was difficult to read. So many words and the story lost even me, as the adult reader. I never did get the story...eek.

[Greta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this made me think of my children's bedtime routine. It's much shorter now, at least for our son, but our little girl has Petey down just perfectly! Very funny!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was about a boy named Petey's and what he does before bed. He tells a story of himself.