Marc Just Couldn't Sleep [Hardcover]

Garbiela Keselman (Author), Noem Villamuza (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up

It's bedtime, but Marc just can't sleep. He's scared. He's worried. What if a giant mosquito gets into his room? What if he falls out of bed? What if the moon melts?

Mom to the rescue!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 - Keselman takes an imaginative approach to a familiar subject. Marc voices a series of nighttime fears to his mother, who attempts to soothe him in creative ways. When he tells her that he is afraid of being bitten by a giant bug, she makes him "mosquito-proof pajamas" (a wire basket), a helmet (colander), and a sword (straining spoon). She gives him a mountain-climbing rope and parachute to prevent falling out of bed, invents an "invisible trap for catching ghosts," and even climbs onto the roof to keep watch. When these efforts all fail, she admits she doesn't know what to do and sits down to listen while Marc tells her about his concerns. Of course, he falls asleep before he even begins. Villamuza's cartoons, done in earth tones, are simple and splendid. Marc is an appealing character with dark skin, curly black hair, and large round eyes. The artwork captures the affection he and his mother share and the large compositions are ideal for storytime. - Gay Lynn Van Vleck, Henrico County Library, Glen Allen, VA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS. Marc can't sleep because he's afraid, so his resourceful mother comes up with all sorts of solutions. Giant mosquitoes? That calls for a helmet and a "buzz-repellent teddy bear." In case the moon melts, Marc gets a stern letter to give the man in the moon. None of Mom's innovative ideas work, so she finally just asks him to tell her what's upsetting him. After all the activity, though, Marc is much too tired. The full-bodied illustrations of an African American mom and child feature lots of close-ups, but, surprisingly, both text and art are staid. Even when Marc gets covered with goose feathers and is given a live duck to protect him from the wind, the art doesn't play this for laughs; Marc is simply shown in bed with his helmet, feathers, etc. Deadpan doesn't work too well with preschoolers. However, this will still be a useful title as it does address kids who seem to be afraid of everything and show parents at wits' end from trying to comfort them. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Kane/Miller Book Publishers (September 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1929132689
• ISBN-13: 978-1929132683
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 10.8 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,161,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A wonderfully diverse kid's book featuring characters of color., January 26, 2006

By 

Tamara Lee (St. Paul, MN United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marc Just Couldn't Sleep (Hardcover)

I loved this book! Did you know that out of the 5000 or so books for children published annually, only about 150 feature people of color?! It was wonderful to read this story to my little boy who is the same color as Marc! The story was well done with good pacing that kept both my son and myself interested and the illustrations were absolutely divine! I would love to see a "Marc" series! Thank you Ms. Keselman and Ms. Villamuza for this great book!

5.0 out of 5 stars love it, October 10, 2011

By 

nikkia - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Marc Just Couldn't Sleep (Paperback)

i love this book it fits my son to a t. i read it to him every night. i think it helps some after i read it we talk about it and all the things marc was scared of

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Bedtime Book for All Children, February 18, 2006

By 

R. Williams (Chicago, IL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Marc Just Couldn't Sleep (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful children's book from Spain. Some people will see the brown skinned boy on the cover and not buy it but it is truly a great book for all kids. It is universal in that it is speaking to the small child afraid of going to sleep alone at night. And who hasn't been at some point in their life?

'Marc had a pink floppy-eared bunny for company but it was not enough to keep fear out of his bedroom. When he screamed for help, his mother came running. And when he said he was sure a giant mosquito was about to bite him, she made him mosquito-proof pajamas and gave him a helmet and a sword.

But alone again in the dark, Marc worried he might fall out of bed. Mom gave him a mountain climbing rope and a parachute.

When he was sure the moon might melt, she fitted him with glow-in-the-dark glasses and sent a letter to the moon forbidding it to melt. And when he knew for absolute certain that a mean wind was going to blow in his face, she hung a sign on the front door that said, "Mean wind, you took the wrong road. Buy yourself a map!"

Even inventive mom was flummoxed by Marc's final, querulous pronouncement: "I think I'm afraid of everything."

There was only one thing to do. Off came Marc's armor, the equipment, the traps and sticks. Away with the letters to the moon and the mean wind. When there were only the two together in the nighttime, close and quiet, mom asked Marc to recount every one of his fears.

"I'll tell you later," he answered through half-closed eyes. "I'm much too tired now."

Keselman's story, originally published in Spain, is perfectly attuned to the bedtime fears of children, as are Villamuza's moody, soft-toned pastels.' - Leigh Fenly, Quest Editor of the Union-Tribune