A Bedtime Kiss for Chester Racoon

PreS—As Chester Raccoon nestles into his lair, he begins to imagine frightening creatures in the light that streams across his bedroom. At first, it takes on the form of a crocodile and later a pair of spiders. Like many children who see monsters in the shadows of their bedrooms, Chester becomes increasingly agitated as he tries to sleep. Soon, his mother comes to assure him that there is nothing to fear. Just as she reassured him in The Kissing Hand (Child Welfare League of America, 1993), she kisses Chester's palm to soothe his worries. The ink and watercolor illustrations are realistic and reassuringly expressive. Chester's nonthreatening bedtime imaginings are silly enough that young readers' own slumbers will not be interrupted. Designed for younger children, this board book features rounded corners, rhyming couplets, and a simpler text than the earlier books in the series. It should find an audience in most public libraries.—Laura Butler, Mount Laurel Library, NJ