Weekend Board Book

 

GOOD NIGHT, BABOON!
A Bedtime Counting Book
Written by Sabrina Moyle
Illustrated by Eunice Moyle
Workman Publishing 3/31/2020
978-1-5235-0747-4
20 Pages   Age 0+

Genre:  Children’s Board Book, Fiction
Themes: Bedtime, Counting, Animals

 
Synopsis

UH-OH! BABY BABOON IS TOO JAZZED TO SLEEP!
Will this cheeky little monkey
ever be ready
for one BIG HUG good night?
(from back cover)

Opening Sentences

“10 Big Baboons get ready for bed. 1 Baby Baboon stays up instead!”

Why I like Good Night, Baboon! A Bedtime Counting Book

As 10 baboons get ready for bed—some holding stuffed animals and others swinging on the rope of their hammock beds—the tiniest baby baboon holds onto the biggest baboon’s large mane of hair, excited and nowhere near tired. As his siblings settle down, he doesn’t go to bed. Instead, he travels from animal to animal, sometimes seeming to cause trouble, sometimes being nice, yet always entertaining for both the reader and the animals.

Each spread is a new set of animals, counting down from the 10 baboons to 2 llamas, and finally 1 baby baboon. As “9 Stinky Skunks” take a bath, the baby baboon, in full gear, snorkels in the tub. While “4 Cozy Chameleons” rub their eyes, the baby baboon sings them lullabies with what looks like a heavy metal guitar and performance.

And so it goes, from bedroom to bedroom, checking out the other animals’ nighttime rituals or having his own kind of fun. There are a few spreads that young children, especially boys, will love. While one set of animals brush their gums, baby baboon brushes his “bum.”  Laugh-provoking words include stinky, pooped, and the bum.

Each set of animals get a descriptive word which uses alliteration to catch the youngster’s attention.  There are “10 Big Baboons,” “8 Hungry Hamsters,” and “2 Lazy Llamas” to name a few. The text rhymes and easily rolls off a reader’s tongue (though after a few readings, reading “1 Baby Baboon . . .” began catching on my lips). Young children and their parents will enjoy the lilting text, comical descriptions, and Baby Baboon’s actions.

Good Night, Baboon! is both a bedtime story and a counting book (from 10 to 1). Additionally, before reading the text, parents can have children point out objects or explain what the animals are doing, turning Good Night, Baboon! into an activity book.

The illustrations are bright and humorous. Each set of animals are pleasant with their smiles, big yawns, slurping and nibbling, and washing up; all wearing cute pajamas. While one set takes a bath, they wear rubber hats to cover the “hair” on their heads, just like moms of older days once did.

To add to the humor, illustrator Eunice Moyle added a small critter near the bottom of the spread. This animal makes a wry remark, such as, “No more monkey business!” I almost missed them the first time though the book, there is so much activity going on in each spread. Young children will love all the detail and the animals acting like humans, while keeping some of their own instincts. (Like the baboons who wear 2-piece pajamas, read books, or brush their hair while also swinging from hammock ropes as if they were tree limbs.)

Good Night, Baboon! is a versatile board book that will entertain young children and their parents. The images are bright, cheerful, and realistic. Good Night, Baboon! will be carried around by young children who will read it to themselves (after a couple of readings by a parent), eventually turn Good Night, Baboon! into  a well-worn board book long before the youngster moves on to picture books.

Favorite Scene

I like all the spreads, especially the snorkeling baby baboon, the milk-and-cookie hamsters, and the slooow, sleepy sloths. Pressed to choose a favorite it would be the “3 Groggy Giraffes” and Baby Baboon, sitting on a stack of books, reading lullabies. As the giraffes “start to snore” Baby Baboon pleads, “Just one more!”

Illustrations Rendered digitally.

Available at Amazon:  Good Night, Baboon! A Bedtime Counting Book     

GOOD NIGHT, BABOON! A Bedtime Counting Book  Copyright © 2020 by HelloLucky LLC. Published by Workman Publishing, New York, NY.

 

Copyright © 2020 by Sue Morris/Kid Lit Reviews. All Rights Reserved
[520 word count-review only]

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