My Tail’s Not Tired
Author: Jana Novotny-Hunter
Illustrator: Paula Bowles
Publisher: Child’s Play International
Ages 2 to 5
I envy the parents who claim their kids hop right to bed and STAY there without a fuss.
There is a reason stories of tired littles who will NOT go to bed keep popping up over and over. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) was invented by the toddler set hell bent on doing absolutely everything to delay bedtime.
I need a snack.
I need water.
Can you give me a hug?
I need kisses!
I’m scared.
I need to go potty.
The list of excuses, and the number of times they are repeated, can seem endless. I wonder if this is a hot topic at the playground. If they discuss strategy, or how to take their parents to the brink but not over it.
I envy the parents who claim their kids hop right to bed and STAY there without a fuss.
So we read lots and lots of books about bedtime to our kids. On the face of it, this is just another one of those books to add to the pile. But it’s not.
The book follows a very patient Big Monster and a very energetic Little Monster through their night time routine. Little Monster needs to work out their bouncy knees, wiggly bottom, swingy tail, roly-poly back, roaring voice, jumpy feet, jet-plane arms, and finally, their blinky eyes that are NOT tired. Definitely not tired at all. All through the book you can see a tired Big Monster encouraging Little Monster to get all the wiggles out while coaching them upstairs, to bath, pajamas, and bed.
It’s nice to read a book that encourages kids to get their wiggles out rather than insisting they get in bed and stay there (much as parents everywhere would like that).
The scribbly illustrations are bright and fun. Parents will identify with the clearly tired but trying-to-be patient Big Monster, making the faces that kids just don’t seem to register. Kids will love, and hopefully emulate, the brightly drawn, energetic Little Monster who squeezes in a bit of fun right before bedtime. Win-Win.
My Tail’s Not Tired (Support an Independent Bookstore)
My Tail’s Not Tired (Hardcover at Amazon)*
More books for this Age Group can be found here.
My thanks to Child’s Play International for providing a Review Copy of this book. The views expressed herein are my own.
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