Pet Shop Lullaby

by Mary Ann Fraser

Who's making all that noise at night? It's nighttime in the pet shop and all the animals are asleep.
Squeak.
All the animals—except for one.
Squeak.
One that can’t sleep at night.
Squeak.
Who's keeping everyone awake in the pet shop?
Squeak, squeak, squeak.
Turn on the lights and find out!
Squeak.

Genres: Picture Books, Storytime, Animals, Childrens

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Villain E · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young hamster is active at night and keeps the other pets up. So they work to lull it to sleep. The punchline is that the young hamster wants to sleep during the day but everyone else being active is keeping it awake.

Not really a bedtime book. More a story about a kid fighting bedtime.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This fall-asleep book takes place in a pet shop. When one of the animals isn't sleeping yet, readers are treated to a story that's part detective work, part lullaby for the kids being read to.

Very much a toddler or preschooler book, the story is heavy on sounds. Sentences don't generally have more than four words.

Technically, it's hard to write a believable story on that basis, but Mary Ann Fraser triumphs.

FIVE STARS of appreciation for this writer and illustrator.

[Emily · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wished the last page made a little more sense, "some animals wish they could" seems like the hamster wishes it slept during the day, not that it couldn't because of the noise. Maybe my adult brain is just trying too hard

[Karol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Describes what it is like to want to sleep with a hamster around.

[Miss Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A hamster won't sleep at night and the pet shop is filled with animal noise. Toddler and up

[Addie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute. Learned hamsters are nocturnal. 22 month old enjoyed this book too.

[Emily Carlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cute lullaby, night time story set in a pet shop. The text is simple and short. The ways to get a hamster to sleep are pretty adorable.

[Jamie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pet Shop Lullaby is a must read for all lovers of cute, fuzzy animals. In this story, the owners of a pet shop close the store for the evening, leaving all of the animals in the dark to get a good night’s sleep. The animals in the pet store quickly learn that not all animals sleep at night time. The pet shop hamster is keeping everyone awake with his squeaking and nibbling! The other animals take turns trying different ways of getting the hamster to go to sleep. They give the hamster a bubble bath and rubber ducky to play with. They try reading the hamster a story about three little hamsters, and finally tuck the hamster into bed. By the time the hamster falls asleep, it is day time, and time for the other animals to be awake. Now, the hamster can’t fall asleep because the other animals are keeping him awake!
The illustrations are what make this book so wonderful. The author uses a classic cartoon approach that children are very familiar with. Based on the pictures, the reader can tell that the author has spent lots of time studying hamsters. There are adorable pictures of the hamster sitting in his food bowl, standing on his hind legs, sitting in a bubble bath and walking around with over-stuffed cheeks. The facial expressions on all of the animals featured in the book, especially the hamster, are priceless. The irritation felt by the animals when they cannot fall asleep is very evident, as is the innocence of the hamster.
Children participating in a library storytime would be the perfect audience for this book. Even the youngest of children will love this story. This book provides an excellent opportunity for a storyteller to have fun with animal sound effects, and to engage the children in the story. Children will love identifying the animals in the pet shop and will enjoy pointing out the funny things the animals are doing throughout the story.

[Bridget R. Wilson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The problems one little hamster can cause in a pet shop! Hamsters are nocturnal. That means they stay up all night and sleep all day. (Like owls.) Most of the other animals in the pet shop (cat, dog, mouse, rabbit, guinea pig) are diurnal. They are like you and me--they sleep at night. These animals put their heads together and put the hamster to sleep. They go through several bedtime rituals (teeth brushing, story reading). Finally, the hamster is asleep!

What I thought: Lovely! The story is great. It's a simple way to introduce the concept of nocturnal animals. The minimal text makes this book perfect for preschool story time. The illustrations are colorful and lifelike.

Story Time Ideas: This would be a great book to use for a pajama story time. You could pair it with other bedtime books. You could also use it for a nocturnal animal story time. Pair with Good-Night, Owl! by Pat Hutchins.

[Ina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The entire pet store is awakened by one small hamster who can't sleep. All of the animals take turns doing everything they can think of to put him to sleep - they give him a bath and tell him a story and tuck him in. Of course by then it is morning and now all of the sounds of the pet store keep him awake. There are lots of great read aloud sounds and wonderful pictures. Be sure and look at all the details!

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

There aren't a lot of words in this one, so for storytime I kind of had to pad it out a little, but the kids seemed to enjoy it fairly well. It's definitely not the best book out there with this general storyline (animal that sleeps during the day keeps all the animals that sleep at night awake), but for a storytime about guinea pigs, it worked well enough. And the illustrations are really cute...

[Melly Fischer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sweet bedtime (or anytime) story! The petshop animals can't get hamster to stop his nibbling and munching so they can sleep in quiet. So they try some simple techniques (bath, toothbrushing, lullaby, bedtime story, tucking in) to help him. Very simple story but could easily be used in a first grade class to talk about nocturnal animals.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute story about the pet shop hamster who--as a hamster does--stays awake at night to the despair of the other pet shop creatures. Children will enjoy seeing the hamster go through a typical bedtime routine courtesy of the other animals.

[Alyson (Kid Lit Frenzy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read this a few months ago. Interesting but didn't wow me. Young children who love animals will enjoy it. Parents will relate to the challenge of getting a little one to sleep when they want to be up.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Using minimal text allows this story to be terrific. What if you were a hamster living in the pet store and couldn't sleep at night?
The other pet store residents just might have some very workable ideas to help you get to sleep. A charming twist on bedtime rituals.

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cute. Hamster keeping everyone awake in the pet shop - even the cat (weird since cats usually are prowling around at night). The going to bed theme is strong here even though it is contrary to the nature of the hamster.

[Peacegal · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bedtime story set in a fantasy pet shop. The illustrations and story are cute, but humane-minded parents who are aware of the unpleasantness behind many real-world pet shops may want to choose something different.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

same story line as the baby beebee bird by massie, only this one takes place in a pet shop.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute!

[Edna · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute book with little text about nightime at the petshop when most of the animals want to sleep except one that wants to stay up and play.

[Kim]

The hamster stays awake at night, upsetting everyone else in the pet shop. All the other animals try everything they can think of to put his to sleep without success.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book with a variety of animals.