Time for Bed

by Petr Horáček

A toddler’s nightly routine unfolds with an evening ritual on each graduated page, building to a perfectly cozy ending.

After playtime is over, it’s time for supper, taking a bath, brushing your teeth, and listening to a story. But what comes next? In Petr Horácek’s clever board book for very young children, each turn of a shaped page creates a picture that is revealed only at the end, leaving little ones happy to settle into their beds and say good night.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens

16 pages, Board Book

First published September 9, 2014

About the author

Petr Horáček is the author-illustrator of Look Out, Suzy Goose and Silly Suzy Goose, as well as Run, Mouse, Run!; Bird, Fly High; A New House for Mouse; and Strawberries Are Red. He lives in England.

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Time to play. Time to put away my toys. Time for supper. Time for a bath.



Premise/plot: Time for Bed is ALL about bedtime routines from start to finish. What makes this board book a bit different from other bedtime books is the format. Each page is shaped. A surprise picture is revealed at the end of the story.



My thoughts: The story is simple and predictable. There isn't much text per page. Which is either a really, really good thing or a bad thing depending on YOUR little one's attention span. The illustrations are very bright and colorful. I think the shaped pages may be easier for young children to turn themselves.

[Asho · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 15-month-old daughter doesn't often have patience to sit and look at a book. Every now and then she'll bring me one, but when I go to read it she usually slams it shut and quickly flings it aside. (I have faith that she'll be a book lover someday!) Anyway, she did have the patience for this book, though. I thought it was so cute. For the past couple of weeks we'd read it most nights at bedtime. She still wants to turn the pages REALLY quickly, but she's thrilled with how easy they are to turn. Because each page is slightly shorter than the one before it, it makes it really easy for toddlers to grasp the pages one at a time. I also think it's very clever that the patterns then turn into the blankets on the bed at the end. This book is definitely a winner.

[Rhyme Owens · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not like this book because it was so short and babyish. Even my baby sister didn't like it, because she thought I meant that she needed to go to bed, and that made her mad.

[Megababy · Rating 2 out of 5]

We read this while picking out books at the library. It was very short, and about bedtime so I moved on quickly. The pages are different sizes which are weird. Mom pointed out that at the end those different size pages come together to make a blanket but I wasn't too interested in that. She also says the "flip flap" book on the front made her thing it had little doors for me to open, but that was not the case.

[Bridgette Elston · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute simple story buy it's a shaped board book, not a flap book.

[Steph]

Level: 1

Very basic, beautiful stages of going to bed in the evening. Babies or secondary, board book format, small audiences.

[Addie · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 month old really enjoyed this one. Cute

[Abby · Rating 3 out of 5]

The flip flap fun description suggests that this is a lift the flap book but alas it is not. It is a basic bedtime routine book and at the end the pages have layered to look like a quilt for the child in bed. Not our fave!

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although I knew each of the pages in this board book were cut differently and were in different sizes, I didn't realize until the end that they'd all combine to form a colorful blanket for the child. Each page describes briefly and shows in colorful fashion the bedtime rituals of one youngster. Naturally, he needs to pick up his toys and take a bath. This one is perfect for sharing with the very young set.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the puzzle-like layout.

[Cemeread · Rating 3 out of 5]

board book Great colors and good length for babies.