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I Want My Light On!

by Tony Ross
32p. 978-0-76136-443-6.
COPY ISBN
PreS-Gr 1—The Little Princess is afraid of ghosts and insists that her light stay on at bedtime. Her dad confirms that there are no ghosts under her bed; the Admiral assures her that if there were any, the General would deal with them; the doctor instructs her to blow her nose if she sees any; and the maid insists that if there were ghosts, they would be very small. But when the Little Princess and her stuffed animal, Gilbert, hear a ghostly sound, they hide under the bed, only to discover a little ghost who is more afraid of them than they are of him. He runs back to his mother at the top of the castle and proclaims that he has seen a little girl. "'Don't be silly,' said his mom. 'There are NO such things as little girls!' 'I want my light on anyway!' said the little ghost. 'Just in case.'" A common bedtime fear is given a delightful twist with the help of a ghost clutching his own lovey. Readers familiar with the series will recognize the eccentric and memorable characters. Clear, expressive watercolors add humor to the simple text, and the Little Princess formula still works well at cleverly addressing common early childhood issues.—Rachel Kamin, North Suburban Synagogue Beth El, Highland Park, IL
As the Little Princess grapples with bedtime fears, a series of inept adults attempt to comfort her. Ross's saturated watercolors play with light and shadow to reinforce the simple text. While the princess's sudden emotional shift from scared to capable may confuse young readers, they'll enjoy the comical conclusion, as a young ghost's mother assures him there's "NO such thing as little girls."
Reviewed by Rachel Kamin , Aug 01, 2010

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