Who's Awake in Springtime?

PreS-Gr 1 In this cumulative tale, baby animals stay awake as their grown-ups go down for the evening. As the question "Who's asleep?" is asked of the creatures in the sea, pond, meadow, garden, and treetop, baby animals everywhere answer, "Not I!" A child dressed in a sheep costume frolics through the panels featuring snoozing fish, sleeping ducks, dreaming turtles, napping birds, snoring bees, curled-up cats, and caterpillars in silken beds. Once the boy gets to the pasture, it's party time as the sheep all jump and play until they drop. The boy's mother asks, "Is anyone awake?" Eventually the little lamb boy climbs into bed for his nap, just like all of the other baby animals. Chollat's playful and detailed illustrations will have readers taking a closer look to see if they can spot the boy in each spread. The repeated refrain of "Not I" is perfect for read-alouds and will surely encourage those listening to chime in. Pair this whimsical story with Claire Freedman's "Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones" (Good Bks., 2005) or Julie Markes's "Shhhhh! Everybody's Sleeping" (HarperCollins, 2005) for a soothing storytime."Stacy Dillon, LREI, New York City" Copyright 2010 Media Source Inc.