The Sleepy Songbird

PreS-Gr 1—Little Peep awakens from sleep in the forest to a beautiful song. He first asks an owl if it has been singing and then asks a mouse. A frog directs him to a "tree full of birds…all singing!" Peep asks to join this "Dawn Chorus" and is told that he must audition the next day. He practices, oversleeps, and misses the audition. He practices more, sleeps through the next day, and realizes that he is better suited to join the nightingales. Each element of the whimsical collage, drawings, and watercolor illustrations is beautiful, distinctively arranged against a spare background. The premise that Peep must audition in order to sing in the chorus is a bit off-putting and counter to the efforts of early childhood practitioners, who know the value of children singing early and often. However, the fact that Peep finds his voice and his place to shine is indeed gratifying.