From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2–Three bunny siblings find much better things to do than go to sleep. Each time their parents look in on them, they are playing with cars or trains or pretending to be cowboys and even a marching band. Despite numerous warnings, the noisy little creatures just cannot stay in their beds. Finally the house is quiet, but when the youngsters creep down the hall and discover their parents fast asleep, they plan to play all night long. But soon a new noise is heard, the snoring of bunnies who have played themselves to sleep. A simple pattern moves this tale along. Mama and Daddy are trying to wind down for the evening with a bit of reading and some tea and carrot cake, but loud sounds from the bedroom send them repeatedly upstairs to admonish their children and put them back in bed. The colorful, folksy gouache illustrations bring real personality to the text with expressions of exasperation, amusement, and joy. The text is placed in and around the art and has a large, bold font to emphasize the raucous sounds of the little rabbits. Despite the winning illustrations, the tale seems a bit stale and overly long.
–Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From the inviting jacket picturing three bunnies jumping on their beds to the last good-night line, the antics of these mischievous cuties will command repeated bedtime readings. After tucking in their little bunnies and saying good night, Mama and Daddy settle down to read. Soon, however, telltale sounds reveal that the bunnies are not in their beds. "Click Clack": the bunnies are setting up train tracks on the floor. "Clip Clop, Clip Clop": they are riding hobbyhorses. "Zoom, Zoom": they are racing cars. Mama and Daddy are stern: "No more tracks, no more trains, no more horses, no more cars. No more mischief!" In the end, the bunnies still seem to have outsmarted their parents; but have they? The simple design, charmingly attired bunnies, and witty details (Mama is reading
Hare Raising Stories)
in the gouache illustrations add a cozy layer of warmth to this fresh, engaging take on a familiar scenario. The sound effects, rendered in large type, will inspire a chorus of giggles as well as plenty of participation. Good night; sleep tight.
Julie CumminsCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
