Jake Stays Awake [Hardcover]

Michael Wright (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

Jake can’t sleep. 
He climbs into bed with his mom and dad.
Now Jake’s parents can’t sleep.
Even the dog is awake.
This family needs a good night’s rest. Where can they sleep? 
The answer will delight and reassure children and their (sleep-deprived) parents!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1—"Unless I can sleep with my parents," says Jake, "I won't close my eyes, and I won't go to bed!" Night after night, his parents resist, then relent. Sleeplessness ensues until mother and father come up with a plan—"We'll sleep with you, son, just not in our bed./Is there some other place we could try out instead?" The sleeping venues he suggests include a steep roof, the staircase, the bathtub, the kitchen counter, three garbage cans, and the family car. Wakeful Jake decides none of these will do as well as his own bed into which he finally tumbles, exhausted. And the moral of the story is: "it's not always fun/to have kids sleep with parents/night after night./But every once in awhile?/Well, that's quite all right." Pleasantly rhyming text is paired with droll, stylized full- and double-page illustrations in bold colors and varying perspectives, and sight gags extend the fun for children and adults. Mom's bedside reading is Passions Harvest; Jake's dog, which appears in every spread, is loyal to the point of hanging onto the edge of the roof by his front paws; and the boy's wide-eyed teddy bear stays clutched in Jake's hand until the very end, when he serves as a sleep mask for the pooch. Endpapers of floating sheep echo the pattern on Jake's pajamas and subtly suggest an alternative method of falling asleep. All in all, a delicious treat of a bedtime book.—Marie Orlando, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, Bellport, NY
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

Pointedly addressed to children who prefer the parental bed to their own, this rhymed chronicle of a restless night has Mom, Dad, and young Jake trying out the roof, the bathtub, trash cans, and other venues in search of an alternative both comfortable and roomy enough for three. Ultimately, Jake comes around to realizing that his own bed isn't so bad. As Wright unconvincingly puts it: "His parents are happy again / with their son, / and everyone's realized / it's not always fun / to have kids sleep with parents / night after night. / But once in a while? / Well, that's quite all right." The illustrations, done in a distinctive cartoon style, feature aerial or skewed perspectives and figures with chinless, thumb-shaped heads; except for his height, Jake looks grown up—which adds another layer of humor, intended or otherwise, to the episode. Peters, John

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Feiwel & Friends; 1st edition (October 2, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031236797X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312367978
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 9.5 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #712,207 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous Children's Book for all ages, November 24, 2007

By 

L. Phillips (San Francisco, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jake Stays Awake (Hardcover)

Wow! If you've been bored reading the same old stories to your kids every night, try this one. It's beautifully illustrated, funny, well-written and most importantly, something that kids will love and you'll enjoy reading. Don't miss all the special comic details added to the illustrations just for us. The story is something we've all dealt with at one time or another and the solution is quirky and unique. Can't wait for Michael Wright's next book.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A picture book kids will ask for every night! (And you'll be happy to read it.), October 5, 2007

By 

Simone de Beauvoir "Phoebe" (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jake Stays Awake (Hardcover)

With just the right mix of adult- and kid-friendliness, this book addresses the common "issue" of the family bed with sweetness and a whole lot of humor. The illustrations are fantastic, the colors bold and inviting. The verse is just right for a little one's sense of humor and there are amusing details in the pictures for observant eyes to discover. This is the first book by this author/illustrator, but my bet is that Michael Wright will hit the big time soon.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A good go-to-sleep story, November 9, 2007

By 

Armchair Interviews (Minneapolis, MN) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jake Stays Awake (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Jamie Driggers

Jake has trouble sleeping--when he's alone, that is. And though he can sack out when he's in bed with his parents, they get no rest. Sound familiar?

In Jake Stays Awake, Jake and his parents are in a battle of wits. They can't sleep with him-and he can't sleep without them. Who will win? They'll happily sleep with him anywhere but in their bed (which only has room for two). Can they sleep on the roof? In the kitchen? On the stairs? In the bathtub? The trash? The car? Though Jake's parents seem to be able to sleep, Jake just can't. Is there anyplace he can catch a few zzzzs? And then he thinks of just the place.

Jake Stays Awake is a lively story to which (nearly) every parent can relate. Is there a solution to the family bed? And though I doubt that most parents will be willing to do the gymnastics that Jake's parents go through, most will find the humor in it anyway.

The text has a nice rhyming cadence that, unfortunately, does get clunky a time or two on the read aloud. The illustrations are full page and full color and complement the text well. In fact, they probably make the book. What looks like simplistic characterization, really presents quite a bit of detail that kids and adults will enjoy pouring over to find something to giggle about. All in all, this is a nice picture book debut for Michael Wright.

Armchair Interviews says: Now watch for Jake Starts School.