Before I Go to Sleep [Paperback]

Thomas Hood (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 1993

"Exquisite illustrations . . . it will inspire many a pleasant dream."--School Library Journal, starred review. "For children who find that the summer hours between bedtime and darkness are hard to pass, this book offers welcome relief."--Publishers Weekly. Full-color illustrations.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

For children who find that the summer hours between bedtime and darkness are hard to pass, this book offers welcome relief. Fantasies that lead eventually to the Land of Nod run rampant in the head of a boy who must go to bed before nightfall. Dreams of being an industrious cat (mending a roof with the aid of mice and cardinals), a regal dog bedecked with crown and ermine-trimmed cape and a leaping mountain goat--complete with purple-and-pink-striped socks--pass through the restless child's mind. In style and content, Hood's 19th-century verse stands the test of time remarkably well, indicating that some of the problems children face are ageless. Begin-Callanan's splendidly detailed, deliciously colored paintings are filled with comical touches such as tourist penguins, with sardines hanging from the pockets of their "jams," lining up to buy ice cubes from a polar bear. By setting the pictures in progressive stages of darkness (similar to Clement Hurd's technique in Goodnight, Moon ), the artist gradually draws the curtain on consciousness until the last page shows the darkened room of the peacefully sleeping boy. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1- This poem by the popular 19th-century English poet has surely stood the test of time. Hood's rhyming, first-person, four-line stanzas tell of a boy imagining ten animals he'd like to be as he nods off to sleep. They come alive , with Begin-Callanan's exquisite illustrations. Her interpretations, in full color, are clever and creative. Each double-page spread has a small, complementary adornment above the stanza and a full-page, humorous portrait of the animals described. The illustrator has a furry forte as evidenced here and in The Porcupine Mouse (Morrow, 1988), which makes a cameo appearance in this book. In each unusual scene, the animals are presented so richly and so pleasantly that readers will want to stroke each of them. The boy's pet dog is seen in each vignette, as is a glimpse of the boy's striped pajamas on whatever animal he has become. There is a polar bear in a (striped) visor selling "icebergs by the pound;" a tall giraffe, sporting a (striped) jacket, tap dancing in the street with little bells upon his feet. The closing, darkened-bedroom scene reveals the souvenirs of the boy's reverie as he sleeps--his own stuffed animals. While the idea is not new, this fresh and lively execution of it will inspire many a pleasant dream. --Marianne Pilla, Upper Dublin Public Library, Dresher, PA
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 32 pages
• Publisher: Sandcastle (April 21, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0399224408
• ISBN-13: 978-0399224409
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 8.7 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,101,870 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Before I Go to Sleep, January 19, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Before I Go to Sleep (Hardcover)

It's a rhyming book about a boy that lies in bed thinking of the things he would like to be. I would recommend this book to a younger audience as it is easy reading and there are more pictures than words. A book on poetry with excellent color illustrations, and would recommend it for the 2nd graders.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars review for: Before I Go To Sleep, April 9, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Before I Go to Sleep (Hardcover)

Realistic, detailed pictures. Modern in the way of letting kids know they can be anything they want to be, and fun because it takes you many places, it's adventurous.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best bedtime book I've read to my children., September 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Before I Go to Sleep (Hardcover)

This book was very intertaining. It kept all of my children:10yrs, 5yrs, 2 1/2yrs and 1 1/2, interested thoughout the entire story. It is a fun book to read before bed. The illustrations are wonderful.