The Wee Hours

PreS-Gr 2—In the earliest part of morning, while a child is fast asleep, the Wee Hours come to play. The first one likes to read the child's books upside down, build towers of her shoes, and bang his belly like a drum. The second Wee Hour likes to dance, setting the birds free from the girl's dreams, and treating them to a spellbinding play. The third and fourth hours free the horses and dinosaurs from her dreams while all the others join in, dancing and clapping. There is much celebration until Five O'Clock comes and gathers everyone around for whispered stories, and the sleepy animals and Wee Hours are led back into the child's dreams. It is up to Five, Six, and Seven O'Clock to put her room back in order before she awakes, unaware of the magical adventures that have taken place. Spare text is enriched by GrandPré's wistful illustrations of tiny creatures creating delightful disorder in the youngster's bedroom while she sleeps. These invasive sprites make use of the elements in her dreams to pilot their adventures until the older hours approach and send them off to bed before the sunrise. Dreamy scenes, in warm pastels of lavender and plum, olive, and scarlet depict exciting escapades that will lure young ones to dreamland swiftly, in order to discover whether their own dreams can be equally delightful. A charming book for bedtime and one-on-one sharing.—Carol Connor, Cincinnati Public Schools, OH