Naptime For Slippers [Hardcover]

Andrew Clements (Author), Janie Bynum (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 2 and up | Series: Slippers

Slippers does not like naptime. There is too much for a puppy to do instead of sleep. Before he can settle down, he has to collect a few things. One by one he finds Edward's shoe, Laura's cap, and Daddy's work glove-all of which smell like them-and puts them in his little house. When it's time to go for a walk with Mommy, Slippers is too tired. Now, finally, Slippers is ready for naptime. Full of rambunctious play and inimitable personality, Slippers will win over children's hearts as he helps them learn to read.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 2 - Slippers is bored, and everyone in his human family is busy. Left to his own devices, the puppy finds an endless array of objects and activities with which to entertain himself, from pulling up things in the garden to burying a shoe. When the baby awakens from his nap, it's time for a nice long walk, but, of course, by this time, Slippers is exhausted and takes a well-earned rest. Bright, full-page watercolor cartoons help to tell the story. Simple and bold text floats across each page, revealing the details of the dog's every move. Slippers's antics and adorable face will appeal to young children. - Christine E. Carr, Lester C. Noecker Elementary School, Roseland, NJ
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. A dog's work is never done. There are shoes to sniff, caps to chew, things to bury in the garden, and bugs to follow. Who has time to nap? In this endearing, moment-by-moment account of a dog's day, Slippers does everything but nap, a phenomenon that will resonate equally with restless human pups and their parents. Naptime distractions abound, particularly the tantalizing whiffs of various family members: "But it wasn't Edward. / It was just Edward's shoe. / But it smelled very nice--like Edward." Is it any wonder that by the time Slippers actually does get a chance to go for a walk, he's so exhausted he must nap? Bynum's colorful, cartoonish illustrations are interspersed with short lines of text, making this slight-but-charming picture book a good choice for early readers as well as listeners. Karin Snelson
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 2 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; 1 edition (March 3, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525472878
• ISBN-13: 978-0525472872
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 8 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,194,512 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Most of my characters are fairly normal people who are dealing with the basics of everyday life--getting along with others, finding a place in the world, discovering talents, overcoming challenges, trying to have some wholesome fun along the way, and getting into some scrapes and a little mischief now and then, too. I guess I hope my readers will be able to see bits and pieces of themselves in the stories, particularly the novels that take place in and around school. School is a rich setting because schools and education are at the heart of every community. The stories that are set in school seem to resonate with kids, teachers, parents, librarians--readers of all ages. Everyone's life has been touched by school experiences. And I also hope, of course, that kids and others will enjoy reading, enjoy the use of language, enjoy my storytelling.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars illustrations are precious, August 12, 2008

By 

Reader Views "Reviews, by readers, for readers" (Austin, Texas) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Naptime For Slippers (Hardcover)

Reviewed by Sophia McElroy (age 5.5) for Reader Views (7/08)


This book is about a puppy named Slippers. He doesn't like to take naps. But he gets in a lot of trouble; he didn't help. When he goes in his doghouse he first closes one eye and then the other eye because he doesn't want to fall asleep.

My favorite part of the book was when Slippers went outside to help Mommy. He wasn't helping; he was digging up the garden! I like the pictures in this book they are cute. This book made me really happy, it is so funny. It was easy to read for me.

Parent Comment:
I immediately fell in love with this little puppy Slippers. The illustrations are precious and the story is really creatively told. This isn't your average dog tale. My daughter openly laughed and giggled at the trouble this little guy was finding in "Naptime for Slippers" by Andrew Clements.

Book received free of charge.

5.0 out of 5 stars Portrait of the Dog as a Young Dog, November 6, 2005

By 

M. Allen Greenbaum (California) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Naptime For Slippers (Hardcover)

Andrew Clements and Janie Bynum certainly know their dogs. In "Slippers," they have found the "everydog," a canine so true in behavior and physical appearance that he speaks to a whole species. IF you enjoy dogs, and want an accurate--hence fun and irrepressible--representation, this is the book for you and your young audience.

Slippers is an adorable mutt, who, like Cindy Szekeres' "Nothing to Do Puppy," is bored. The other family members are busy or, in the case of little Edward, napping. So Slippers hunkers down in his doghouse, head on paw, and tries to nap himself. Except....except...there are too many sounds and too many smells to keep him down long! He runs and leaps outside, where he helps Mommy with her gardening by uprooting and eating all the plants. Coming back into the house for a drink, he drags his muddy paws over the kitchen table and follows his nose to Edward's spilt milk. Ahhhh! The expressive dog gives a smiling yawn, curls up, closes one ye, and then the other, and tries to sleep. Once again, though, his upturned nose smells Edward!

But it wasn't Edward.
It was just Edward's shoe.
But it smelled very nice, just like Edward.

After licking and chewing the shoe, he places it under his pillow, and again closes first one eye, and then the other. Similar sounds and scents (Slippers has a very active nose!), lead to the discovery of a dripping bathtub, daughter Laura's cap, Daddy's work glove. Slippers' active senses lead to messes around the house, and a slew of items under his pillow! Finally, Edward wakes up, and he has something family-approved to do: Accompany the toddler on a walk. All that busy detective work, however, finally leads him to sleep.

The book excels in capturing a dog's day, and illustrator Janie Bynum somehow combines simplicity with keenly observed illustrations of canine movements and facial expressions. Ms. Bynum and author Andrew Clements capture the essence of the dog. The plot realistically drives the puppy's inadvertently messy adventures, and, of course, echoes the distractions that keep infants and toddlers so persistently awake. Fans of this duo may want to check out "Slippers at Home," as well as their websites, www.frindle.com (Clements) and www.janiebynum.com.