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The Prince Won't Go to Bed!
"WAA! WAA! WAA! I will not go to bed!"
the teeny-tiny, itty-bitty, little Prince said.
Nanny is at her wits' end. Why won't the Prince go to bed? Squire Frat, Lord Gerty, and others in the royal household try to help. Could he want a fluffy pillow? A softer mattress? A gentle lullaby? As the Prince's cries get louder and louder, the castle turns topsy-turvy--until Princess Kate, woken by the ruckus, thinks to ask her brother why he won't settle down--discovering that a simple good-night kiss is all he wants.
Ingenious collage illustrations rich with funny antics bring this medieval world to life, while the rollicking rhyme will have listeners chiming in with glee.
the teeny-tiny, itty-bitty, little Prince said.
Nanny is at her wits' end. Why won't the Prince go to bed? Squire Frat, Lord Gerty, and others in the royal household try to help. Could he want a fluffy pillow? A softer mattress? A gentle lullaby? As the Prince's cries get louder and louder, the castle turns topsy-turvy--until Princess Kate, woken by the ruckus, thinks to ask her brother why he won't settle down--discovering that a simple good-night kiss is all he wants.
Ingenious collage illustrations rich with funny antics bring this medieval world to life, while the rollicking rhyme will have listeners chiming in with glee.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published October 16, 2007
1 person is currently reading
60 people want to read
About the author
Dayle Ann Dodds
25 books6 followersDayle Ann Dodds is the author of numerous picture books for children, including THE SHAPE OF THINGS, TEACHER'S PETS, THE GREAT DIVIDE: A MATHEMATICAL MARATHON, and MINNIE'S DINER: A MULTIPLYING MENU. A former elementary school teacher, she lives in Carmel Valley, California.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
August 21, 2024
Perfect for a read-aloud bedtime story, Dayle Ann Dodds' 2007 picture book The Prince Won't go to Bed is both engagingly fun and also nicely sweet (and I especially do appreciate that what the young prince ultimately requires to be able to go to sleep and stay asleep is something as simple and as natural as simply a goodnight kiss). And while Kyrsten Brooker's accompanying illustrations for The Prince Won't Go to Bed are not necessarily all that much to my liking (being just a bit too visually exaggerated and cartoony), they do in my opinion work quite well in and for The Prince Won't Go to Bed and also and certainly quite nicely reflect and mirror Dayle Anne Dodds' printed words (and that and most children, that the intended audience would likely be both captivated and enchanted by their bold and lively expressiveness).
Now I do not know whether most children would manage to catch Brooker's clever illustrated allusions to Hans Christian Andersen's famous and enduring Princess-and-the Pea story (namely the stacked mattresses), but I sure do consider this little touch to be wonderfully, absolutely ingenious (and indeed more than enough of an aesthetic delight to up The Prince Won't Go to Bed from a high three star to a solid four star reading experience for me). And finally, albeit The Prince Won't Go to Bed is obviously first and foremost simply an entertaining bedtime story for younger children, I also think that The Prince Won't Go to Bed might also be useful for discussing family situations and problems with older children (and perhaps even young teenagers), such as for example bedtime conflicts (and children who do not want to go to bed, who make excuses not to go to bed, who refuse to go to bed) and I could definitely, I could certainly imagine The Prince Won't Go to Bed being of use, of benefit to and for a young babysitter faced with a similar dilemma (and especially if babysitting rebellious and frustrating siblings).
Now I do not know whether most children would manage to catch Brooker's clever illustrated allusions to Hans Christian Andersen's famous and enduring Princess-and-the Pea story (namely the stacked mattresses), but I sure do consider this little touch to be wonderfully, absolutely ingenious (and indeed more than enough of an aesthetic delight to up The Prince Won't Go to Bed from a high three star to a solid four star reading experience for me). And finally, albeit The Prince Won't Go to Bed is obviously first and foremost simply an entertaining bedtime story for younger children, I also think that The Prince Won't Go to Bed might also be useful for discussing family situations and problems with older children (and perhaps even young teenagers), such as for example bedtime conflicts (and children who do not want to go to bed, who make excuses not to go to bed, who refuse to go to bed) and I could definitely, I could certainly imagine The Prince Won't Go to Bed being of use, of benefit to and for a young babysitter faced with a similar dilemma (and especially if babysitting rebellious and frustrating siblings).
March 25, 2011
This is a really, really fun read aloud book, and because of the repetitive chorus, most likely, especially if reread, it will become a say along/read along too.
I doubt I’d have ever read this, but it’s one of six books for April’s “Royalty” theme for the Picture Books Club, a club that’s part of the Children's Books group.
At first I thought this was a book I’d have appreciated only as a young kid, but it grew on me. The rhyme is catchy, and even the repetition works here.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the art style of the illustrations, but I loved the Prince’s stuffed animal (or is it a pet?) And, I loved the multiple mattress pictures.
I thought I’d easily predicted the end, but I was wrong. I like my end better though: a bedtime story! But, the end is very sweet. This is definitely a good bedtime storybook, as long as it doesn’t make the kids too rowdy.
3 ½ stars
I doubt I’d have ever read this, but it’s one of six books for April’s “Royalty” theme for the Picture Books Club, a club that’s part of the Children's Books group.
At first I thought this was a book I’d have appreciated only as a young kid, but it grew on me. The rhyme is catchy, and even the repetition works here.
I wasn’t a huge fan of the art style of the illustrations, but I loved the Prince’s stuffed animal (or is it a pet?) And, I loved the multiple mattress pictures.
I thought I’d easily predicted the end, but I was wrong. I like my end better though: a bedtime story! But, the end is very sweet. This is definitely a good bedtime storybook, as long as it doesn’t make the kids too rowdy.
3 ½ stars
April 6, 2011
With its fun rhymes and sing-song rhythm, this book reminds me of Bear Snores On and other books in the Bear series by Karma Wilson. Of course the story itself and the illustrations are very different, but they have the same whimsical feel. The story of soothing a fussy child to sleep is one that parents can relate to and for older children, the opportunity to chime in on the refrain is all but irresistible. And many older siblings will like the fact that the sister is the one to come to the rescue.
This book was selected as one of the April 2011 Royalty themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Book group here at Goodreads.
This book was selected as one of the April 2011 Royalty themed reads for the Picture-Book Club in the Children's Book group here at Goodreads.
March 28, 2011
A fun rhyme and a sweet ending!
This is a delightfully funny book about the Prince - who won't go to bed! - and his Nanny who tries - and fails - to get him to go to sleep. But it's not just the nanny who tries to come up with ideas on how to get the prince to sleep...
By the end of the book all manner of persons in the castle have offered helpful (but failing) advice on how to get the prince to sleep.
Who will come up with the final idea? And will it work?
I loved the illustrations and this whimsical tale. I knocked off a star only because the rhymes felt - at times - a little forced. But overall I'd definitely recommend this :)
This is a delightfully funny book about the Prince - who won't go to bed! - and his Nanny who tries - and fails - to get him to go to sleep. But it's not just the nanny who tries to come up with ideas on how to get the prince to sleep...
By the end of the book all manner of persons in the castle have offered helpful (but failing) advice on how to get the prince to sleep.
Who will come up with the final idea? And will it work?
I loved the illustrations and this whimsical tale. I knocked off a star only because the rhymes felt - at times - a little forced. But overall I'd definitely recommend this :)
April 5, 2011
I read the The Prince Won't Go to Bed! today to my toddler. It was very enjoyable for the both of us. It flowed well and we both liked the storyline. I was a tiny bit nervous reading to her that he cried because he did not want to go to bed. However, she went to bed with ease. We always do what the little prince needed before he could go to bed. So that was great that the story ended that way. The illustrations were colorful and different. All in all a sweet bedtime story.
This was a monthly read of the Picture Book Club found here http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
This was a monthly read of the Picture Book Club found here http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/5...
July 27, 2019
The prince won't go to bed in this rollicking bedtime story, with its rhyming (and rhythmic!) text: The castle was in trouble. / Nanny scratched her head. / "The king and queen are at the ball, / and the Prince won't go to bed!" Lord Gerty, Squire Frat, the castle Cook, the Royal Guard, and Lady Lorali all chime in with suggestions, from a bedtime bath to a soothing lullaby, but nothing works - until Princess Kate emerges from her own bedroom, and discovers what it is the Prince really wants...
Chosen as one of our April selections, over in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme is "Royalty," The Prince Won't God to Bed is a book I would probably never have picked up on my own, but which I am glad to have encountered. Although I wouldn't say that it was an outstanding example of the bedtime story genre, its combination of entertaining story and exuberant collage illustrations make it a very appealing choice.
Chosen as one of our April selections, over in the Picture-Book Club to which I belong, where our theme is "Royalty," The Prince Won't God to Bed is a book I would probably never have picked up on my own, but which I am glad to have encountered. Although I wouldn't say that it was an outstanding example of the bedtime story genre, its combination of entertaining story and exuberant collage illustrations make it a very appealing choice.
April 28, 2011
I was reading this book for the Goodreads Children's Book Picture Book Club for the theme of royalty and I thought that it was pretty cute. “The Prince Won't Go to Bed!” is a children's book by Dayle Ann Dodds along with illustrations by Kyrsten Brooker and it is about a young prince who refuses to go to sleep when the king and queen went to the ball and left him at the castle. “The Prince Won't Go to Bed!” might have a simplistic plot but it is extremely cute for smaller children to enjoy!
When I read this book, I thought that it was a pretty unusual book about how to get a child to go to bed and it was done in such a cute way! Dayle Ann Dodds has done a good job at writing this story as the story is about how a household of servants tried to get a young prince to go to sleep. I liked the way that this book was written in a rhyming prose to tell the story such as this quote:
“He needs a nice warm BATH,
suggested Old Lord Gerty.
It's clear to me a prince can't sleep
if he's soiled and dirty.”
I also loved the hilarious antics that followed the servants trying to get the young prince to fall asleep as one servant's attempts to get the prince to go to bed fails, another servant steps in to suggest another idea, which leads to the whole royal court being involved in trying to get the prince to fall to sleep. I really loved the ending of this book (which I will not spoil for you) which was extremely sweet and simple, that any parent could think of such an idea to put their child to sleep. Kyrsten Brooker's illustrations are extremely creative as the small prince is shown in a blue royal robe and he wears a small golden crown that makes him look adorable. It was also hilarious seeing the young prince's mouth go slightly wide whenever he screams out that he does not want to go to bed. I loved the way that Kyrsten Brooker used pastel painting to illustrate the pictures, while at the same time pasting items that seem cut out of magazines onto the pastel painted characters which really bring out the creativity in the illustrations.
The reason why I gave this book a four star rating instead of a five star rating was because I personally found the story to be a little bit too simplistic as it is just simply about the servants trying to put the prince to sleep. Even though children will easily love this book because of the hilarious way that the servants tried to put the prince to bed, I just personally wanted a little more from the story, like a little more action, but this book was meant to be aimed at small children, so some adults might be a little bored with reading this book to their child.
Overall, “The Prince Won't Go To Bed!” is a really cute book that will be vastly enjoyed by small children who also have trouble falling asleep. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.
When I read this book, I thought that it was a pretty unusual book about how to get a child to go to bed and it was done in such a cute way! Dayle Ann Dodds has done a good job at writing this story as the story is about how a household of servants tried to get a young prince to go to sleep. I liked the way that this book was written in a rhyming prose to tell the story such as this quote:
“He needs a nice warm BATH,
suggested Old Lord Gerty.
It's clear to me a prince can't sleep
if he's soiled and dirty.”
I also loved the hilarious antics that followed the servants trying to get the young prince to fall asleep as one servant's attempts to get the prince to go to bed fails, another servant steps in to suggest another idea, which leads to the whole royal court being involved in trying to get the prince to fall to sleep. I really loved the ending of this book (which I will not spoil for you) which was extremely sweet and simple, that any parent could think of such an idea to put their child to sleep. Kyrsten Brooker's illustrations are extremely creative as the small prince is shown in a blue royal robe and he wears a small golden crown that makes him look adorable. It was also hilarious seeing the young prince's mouth go slightly wide whenever he screams out that he does not want to go to bed. I loved the way that Kyrsten Brooker used pastel painting to illustrate the pictures, while at the same time pasting items that seem cut out of magazines onto the pastel painted characters which really bring out the creativity in the illustrations.
The reason why I gave this book a four star rating instead of a five star rating was because I personally found the story to be a little bit too simplistic as it is just simply about the servants trying to put the prince to sleep. Even though children will easily love this book because of the hilarious way that the servants tried to put the prince to bed, I just personally wanted a little more from the story, like a little more action, but this book was meant to be aimed at small children, so some adults might be a little bored with reading this book to their child.
Overall, “The Prince Won't Go To Bed!” is a really cute book that will be vastly enjoyed by small children who also have trouble falling asleep. I would recommend this book to children ages four and up since there is nothing inappropriate in this book.
March 23, 2010
Nice easy read book for mums with only so much time or great for first readers. The rhyme schemes of the book is well done and the each illustrated page is full of wonder.
The prince simply won't go to sleep while the king and queen are away. Chaos ensues as everyone in the castle (with names that rhyme with their occupations) offer up various remedies. As expected, sometimes the simplest answer is the best one.
The prince simply won't go to sleep while the king and queen are away. Chaos ensues as everyone in the castle (with names that rhyme with their occupations) offer up various remedies. As expected, sometimes the simplest answer is the best one.
September 18, 2023
Concept/Theme: Bedtime
“The Prince Won’t Go To Bed” by Dayle Ann Dodds describes a story of the servants of the prince trying different remedies to make him go to sleep, but after each one, he says “Waa! Waa! I will not go to bed!” However, his sister Kate heard him down the hall and found out that the one remedy they missed was a goodnight kiss. In this book, many funny events and rhymes could help children remember the poem as it provides them with a sense of repetition. Though a reader could easily understand the sequence of events in the chapter, I still thought it was a nonsense poem or a nonsense nursery rhyme since some of the remedies they gave were not something that I would see in real life. As an example, once they gave the prince twenty-two mattresses and balanced them. Since some of the actions in this story would not be seen in real life, it reminded me of Edward Lear's poems since they provided a funny adventure for children to read about. There are two animals in "The Owl and the Pussycat" that have human characteristics, but the story contains sequences of events. Furthermore, both of these relate to one another due to their rhythm and repetition, which allows readers to read them whimsically.
“The Prince Won’t Go To Bed” by Dayle Ann Dodds describes a story of the servants of the prince trying different remedies to make him go to sleep, but after each one, he says “Waa! Waa! I will not go to bed!” However, his sister Kate heard him down the hall and found out that the one remedy they missed was a goodnight kiss. In this book, many funny events and rhymes could help children remember the poem as it provides them with a sense of repetition. Though a reader could easily understand the sequence of events in the chapter, I still thought it was a nonsense poem or a nonsense nursery rhyme since some of the remedies they gave were not something that I would see in real life. As an example, once they gave the prince twenty-two mattresses and balanced them. Since some of the actions in this story would not be seen in real life, it reminded me of Edward Lear's poems since they provided a funny adventure for children to read about. There are two animals in "The Owl and the Pussycat" that have human characteristics, but the story contains sequences of events. Furthermore, both of these relate to one another due to their rhythm and repetition, which allows readers to read them whimsically.
August 9, 2020
My kids (under 5yrs) and I enjoyed this book. I liked the rhythm and rhymes as well as the illustrations. It tells the story of a little prince who won't sleep. The court has many ideas of how to help him, but just when they think he's sleeping, he cries out again. Finally the princess comes and discovers all he needs is a goodnight kiss. I'm hoping my kids don't pick up the constantly repeated phrase, "Waa! Waa! Waa! I will not go to bed!" in which case I would have to dock several stars from my rating.
February 16, 2018
I actually read this some time ago. Actually, the first time I experienced the book, a fellow librarian was reading it to a group of children. She did both the "but then..." and "WAA! WAA! WAA!" really dramatically and had the audience say "I will not go to bed!" with her. I try to read it like her now, with the addition of speaking for everyone with a British accent.
May 17, 2018
Copyright - Dayle Ann Dodds
Number of Pages - 32
Book Format - Print
Reading Level - Ages 3-6
Genre - Fiction
Lit Requirement -Picture Storybook
Summary: Royalty expects a lot, but maybe all this prince needs is something simple!
Response: This book is a fun book to read. If using this as a read aloud, the students will catch on to the use of the wording making it fun for them to help you read! This book allows for predictions to be made several time throughout the story, making it a fun book to get the creative juices running!
Number of Pages - 32
Book Format - Print
Reading Level - Ages 3-6
Genre - Fiction
Lit Requirement -Picture Storybook
Summary: Royalty expects a lot, but maybe all this prince needs is something simple!
Response: This book is a fun book to read. If using this as a read aloud, the students will catch on to the use of the wording making it fun for them to help you read! This book allows for predictions to be made several time throughout the story, making it a fun book to get the creative juices running!
June 29, 2023
My husband loves to read this one. He can even be heard in the other room saying, “Waa! Waa! Waa! I will not go to bed! The teeny-tiny, itty-bitty, little Prince said.” when I read it to my son. Hopefully, my son doesn’t get any ideas from this books. ;)
December 1, 2016
Any story that gets kids shouting is a good one for me. I thought they'd get more into it, actually, but it wasn't bad. The parents really enjoyed it, too.
August 18, 2017
This would be a great book to read at bedtime. The illustrations are wonderful and the story is very sweet.
June 15, 2018
Great for toddler ST. Relatable for the kids and has rhyming/repetition.
January 24, 2020
I must say that the collage art is very well done and I'm a sucker for medieval books. The concept and the rhymes are fun with an introduction of medieval characters for children.
March 9, 2021
One of our favorites!
February 13, 2017
Hilarious tale! Perfect for storytime. Big words and little words to indicate emotions/sounds. I look forward to reading it aloud.
July 26, 2011
This was a great hit at storytime today! Who couldn't love a book with the refrain, "WAA! WAA! WAA! I will not go to bed!" the teeny-tiny, itty-bitty, little Prince said happening every couple of pages? This book was very engaging for many reasons - rich illustrations and subtle humor - as the entire staff of the castle tries to put the Prince to bed. After each attempt, more and more people tip toe down the hall and the Prince's wail just gets louder and louder. There are many opportunities to ask questions of the readers. Questions like, "do you think he is really asleep now?" and "What do you think he is really missing?" In the end, we learn what it is that the Prince really needed to send him off to dreamland and everyone sleeps happily-ever-after.
February 8, 2008
The rhymes are better here than in her "Full House" book about fractions, but the verse still is a bit uneven. But there's lots of fun in this story, which is sort of a "King Bidgood" Jr, replacing the tub with a bed. And I DO love how it's big sister Princess Kate who figures out what her brother wants in the end!
June 6, 2008
Very cute children's book about a little prince who just won't go to sleep. His parents are away and the castle staff does everything they can think of to get the little guy off to dreamland, but he just won't go. I agree with the reviewer who found the rhymes a bit uneven. The illustrations, however, were great and I really loved them. Good bedtime book.
December 17, 2010
I got this book as a baby gift for my son and it is my favorite book for him by far. It's a wonderful book for any baby boy, it's catchy and I can't wait until he's old enough to say "Waa waa waa, I will not go to bed!" when the little prince says the repetitive phrase from the book! It rhymes and it's a wonderful bedtime story.
March 4, 2011
A midevil times story about a Prince at bed time. This book shows the many ways that the people in teh castle try to encourage the Prince to go to sleep, and in the end the answer is so simple! This story has some rhyming words as well in the story and the pictures are fun with a different, imaginative setting.
January 2, 2013
The repetitive silly story makes for a super fun read aloud and/or bedtime story to share with your little ones. The Prince's parents are away at some soirée and the castle servants are unable to put the little tyke down for the night. Attempt after attempt is made (most at very ridiculous lengths) and yet the young Prince refuses to succumb to slumbering bliss.
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September 4, 2016This book tells the story or a little prince that will not go to bed. Everyone in the palace try different things to make him go to bed, but nothing works. Then, her sisters wakes up because of all the noise and talk to the little prince. The princess says "you thought of everything except a good night kiss".
Lovely story with a lot of rhyme.
Lovely story with a lot of rhyme.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2008
Very cute story about a young prince who refuses to sleep. All the castle aides try their best, but it is sister who discovers the problem. My little prince loved this book, and would much rather have read it over and over than gone to sleep!
November 9, 2009
Waa! Waa! Waa! The prince will not go to bed until....what? The people of the castle offer him a fluffy pillow, a nice warm bath, some pudding, a soft mattress, and some soothing music, but they forgot the most important thing. What could it be?
Used for "Family Jammie Storytime"-November, 2009.
Used for "Family Jammie Storytime"-November, 2009.
November 15, 2010
This was a fun read because of the wording and the rhyming. It would be great for an interactive read aloud because it's repetitive, so students can say the repeating lines aloud. They could also sequence this book or act it out very well.
August 15, 2012
I got a little tired of the repeated ""Waa! Waa! Waa!" However, the children seemed to enjoy the "teeny-tiny, itty-bitty" repeats. There was also a heated discussion about what everyone forgot, so maybe 3.5.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews