"Please, just five more minutes?"

[Bridget]

Many writers throughout the ages have expressed the importance of writing 'to the children' through story books. It is a perfect gateway to relay information which would otherwise be obscure.

"Children's literature has powerful influences on young minds because 'it reflects the politics and values of our society'" (Lehr, 2008, p. 3).
That being said, this award goes to bed time stories that present a family centered environment. Pay close attention to how the message in the story portrays our expectations in society, and what we are essentially instilling in our children when reading these stories.

It must reach children anywhere from kindergarten to about the sixth grade. It can be any type of genre best associated with a "bed time" story.

The nomination deadline is March 5, 2009.

Just think back to when you were a wee little tot and think of what your favorite book was to cuddle up with.

Try to have fun with it! :)

Citation: Lehr, S. (2008). Shattering the looking glass: Challenge, risk, and controversy in children's literature. Norwood, Massachusetts: Christopher-Gordon Publishers, Inc..

[Krystal]

I nominate "Good Night Moon" by Margaret Wise Brown. The pictures were done by Clement Hurd. The book was published in 1947 by Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc. "Good Night Moon" is the perfect nominee for the Please, just five more minutes? award. The book thoroughly reveals the importance of a family centered environment. The book is easy to relate to because the author uses a familiar anecdote. I remember being a little one saying goodnight to everything in sight. Brown does an excellent job of seeing the world through a toddlers eyes. This book would expressively engage its young audience. The book could be used in the K-6 literary classroom. The students could have a discussion about what they do before they go to bed every night. "Goodnight Moon" acts as a bridge to connect the children in your classroom. Every child shares the common experience of going to sleep. This is why the book can be used throughout every elementary classroom. It may be an easy read, but the book has been instilled into the hearts of every young child. "Goodnight Moon" has rhyme and repetition that acts as an aid in teaching children sight words. I absolutely adore this book just like every child that I have read it to. "Goodnight Moon" is a must in the elementary literature classroom.

[Lori]

I nominate the book, the Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown. This has been the favorite bedtime story in my family for almost 18 years. It is beautifully illustrated, easy to read and understand, and conveys the universal theme of the bond between mother and child, and the inevitable approach of the day they must let each other go. This book is appropriate for K-4 classrooms, but the theme reaches beyond the elementary grades.

[Amanda]

I nominate How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? by Jane Yolen. This book is a favorite of mine. In this book the dinosaur pulls the typical childhood tricks not to go to sleep. These tricks are shown throughout terrific rhyming text. How the mother dinosaur reacts to the tricks pulled by the child show family dynamics. The dinosaur's actions show how he has been parented so far in his life. Another reason this book deserves your award is its illustrations. Mark Teague, the illustrator, once again did an amazing job with this book. I have read this book to my younger cousins at bed time, and they loved it. I cannot imagine why any child would not love this book. This book truly is deserving of this award.

[Lauren]

I nominate "Koala Lou" by Mem Fox. This book is about a mother koala bear and her daughter, Koala Lou. Her mother always tells her how much she loves her, but when brothers and sisters become present in her life, she becomes busy with them and Koala Lou feels as though she doesn't love her as much anymore. Koala Lou decides to join the olympics to impress her mother but fails to win her event. She is devastated, but returns home to find her mother waiting for her. She throws her arms around Koala Lou and says, "I do love you." This is a great book because it deals with issues many children face. Koala Lou's father is not present, therefore she seeks the attention of her mother. When that attention becomes shared she feels unloved and unimportant. This book is a good reminder to children that just because they have to share their parents' love doesn't mean they are loved less. I absolutely love this book.

[Brianna]

I nominate You're All My Favorites by Sam McBratney for the best bedtime story. It is about a Momma, Daddy, and three baby bears. The baby bears start to wonder how they can all be their parents favorite bear. At bedtime each baby bear asks the Momma and Daddy how they can all be the favorite and the parents answer that they are all three the "best baby bears in the whole wide world". There is something unique about each bear that makes them special. The bears are able to sleep because they felt very sure that they were equally loved. The story is so sweet and the illustrations really draw the reader in. It is illustrated by Anita Jeram and she makes each baby bear unique and loveable. I think this is a wonderful bedtime story about family because although the bears felt insecure, their parents made sure they knew how loved they are.

[Shannon]

I nominate The House in the Night by Susan Marie Swanson for the best bedtime story. This story contains glowing pictures that explore the origins of light that make a house a home. This bedtime book names nighttime things that are both comforting and intriguing to kids. The House in the Night offers a sense of reassurance before bedtime.
[image error]

[Sean]

I nominate the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales, especially the version with the intro by Jack Zipes. Every story sticks to it's Germanic roots, and aren't nearly as gruesome as the stories are fabled. The few illustrations are done very well, and each fairy tale and short story capture the reader, make them want more, and to never have to come back to reality.

[Brittany]

I nominate "Sleepy Bears" for this bedtime story award. It is written by Mem Fox and the illustrations are by Kerry Argent. This story is about six bear cubs being sleepy in the winter, but they don't want to go to sleep. Mother Bear has tuck each bear cub in, one by one. To do this, she sings them a little rhyme, and it makes them go right to sleep. This puts them to sleep until the spring. The rhymes make this story book great to use, in the classroom, when teaching a writing lesson.

[Elizabeth]

I am nominating "I Love You with All My Heart" by Noris Kern for the best bedtime story. The story is about Polo, a courious polar bear, whose mother tells him she loves him with all her heart. Polo spends most of the story trying to figure out what she meant. Polo's mother then explains how she loves him. A very cute story every child would love to hear before being tucked in! This book could easily be read by young reader.

[Alyssa]

Genre: Picture Book
Audience: Ages 4-8
Title:Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep
Illustrator: Debi Giliori
Author: Joyce Dunbar

I nominate "Tell Me Something Happy Before I Go to Sleep" written by Joyce Dunbar. This book is a family centered book based on a mother and daughter rabbits. Willa has a hard time sleeping when she goes to bed. So Willa asks her mother to tell her something happy before she goes to bed. Willa's mother talks about the slippers under her bed. She says they are there just waiting for Willa's feet, isn't that something happy. They also go downstairs and find Willa's toys. Than Willa looks out the window at the pretty dark sky. The whole point is for Willa to see all the things that are going to make her happy before she goes to sleep. Eventually Willa gets to bed and falls asleep with her mother in her arms. This story is very cute. It is something I would advise mothers to read to their children before they go to bed. There is one downfall to this book and it is that this book is geared for little girls, not so much little boys. So this book would not be a book for a mother to read to a little boy. However, this book does have amazing illustrations as well as a great content.

[Alecia]

Llama Llama Red Pajama written and illustrated by Anna Dewdney is a fantastic bedtime book for the Please, Just Five More Minutes Award. Out of the numerous amount books I have reviewed for this award, Llama Llama Red Pajama is by far my favorite. This book depicts the typical separation anxiety that a child feels when his or her parent is apart from him or her. Baby Llama’s attachment for his mother is quite exaggerated in this story so the author is able to better demonstrate the lesson she wishes to instill in the reader. This lesson is that even though parents may be out of sight, they are never out of mind. This book makes for a great bedtime story because children are able to relate to Baby Llama, and as he falls asleep so will the children (hopefully!). Also, the bedtime theme of the story is what makes this book appropriate for reading to a child before bed. Another reason why I nominate Llama Llama Red Pajama for this award is because it has simple, but fantastic illustrations. I feel that it is important for a bedtime story to have great illustrations because children are looking at the illustrations while drifting to sleep rather than looking at the text, which would likely cause them to stay awake. Now let’s stop all this llama drama and choose Llama Llama Red Pajama for the Please, Just Five More Minutes Award.

[Melody]

I nominate "Where's My Teddy" by Jez Alborough. In this bedtime story, a young boy, Eddie, is in for a surprise when he discovers that his teddy bear has grown too big for him to cuddle with. In the end though, Eddie finds his teddy and snuggles with him as he goes to bed.
Children will be reassured to find that creatures big and small need their steady comforts. This is a great bedtime story and one that deserves being awarded! the pictures throughout are great but do not allow for the children to get overly excited. It is a relaxing, interesting story that will have the children wanting to grab their own teddy bear and fall asleep holding on tight! You must read this book and when you do, you will fall in love with it. This book has such interesting and awesome illustrations.

After this book is read to a child, you will have them begging, "please just five more minutes!" which is why it should win the award.
This book is geared toward preschool to second grade but can be continued throughout childhood as a tradition.
A teacher would be able to use this in a classroom as a read aloud because the children would be able to insert themselves into the book. It also can be bought with a CD so that it can be used to help children read while they listen to it. Just one more reason why it should be chosen!

[Elissa]

I nominate “Night is Coming” By W. Nikola-Lisa. I nominate this book because it is a very peaceful and calming story about how night is coming. The illustrations compliment the writing of the story very well. The story is about the grandfather’s land coming to rest and how everything including the sun is slowly going to sleep. “Night is Coming” seems to emphasize a closeness between a little girl and her grandfather with the ending of the little girl sleeping on his lap.

This is a story that will calm a child down and get them ready for bed – it’s soothing and relaxing.

[Bridget]

March 26, 2009

Sam McBratney
C/O Candlewick Press
2067 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02140

Dear Sam McBratney:

Congratulations for your book, You’re All My Favorites, winning the “Please Just Five More Minutes!” Award, for the best children’s book to go to bed with! This award is for a bedtime story that presents a strong family connection for children to read. Your tale of the bear cubs wondering if “Mommy Bear” and “Daddy Bear” love them as much as each of their other siblings, is a perfect fit for this award that I have created.

I am an Elementary Education major at Penn State University. For one of our classes in the Arts and Literacy Block, we were to review children’s books and create an award. The members of our class nominated a book for each award and then we were to judge which book would be the best match for our category. The character development of each bear cub was a wonderful portrayal of how a child may feel about his or her siblings in any culture. Each cub morphed through the stage of identity to realize that the mother and father loved them with all of their differences. Siblings have a tendency to rival each other to win the hearts of those they love, this case being their parents. This book presents a clear message of a parents love for a child. "Children's literature has powerful influences on young minds because 'it reflects the politics and values of our society'" (Lehr, 2008, p. 3). By harnessing this gateway, with the same positive energy that you have presented in your book, who knows of what wonderful possibilities that could erupt throughout the world!

This is a delightfully encouraging read for children of all ages and I am thrilled to have read it. Please continue creating such books for children to read in the crusade for making the world a better place.

Sincerely,


Bridget Querry