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If I Were a Kangaroo: A Bedtime Tale
If I were a kangaroo,
I'd pick you up and carry you
In my pocket, sleepyhead,
And hop you gently off to bed.
It's time for sleep, and this fun-to-read rhyming tale envisions the bedtime rituals of animals from whales to otters, squirrels to gorillas.
So curl up, imagine your favorite animal, and...zzzzzzzzzzz.
I'd pick you up and carry you
In my pocket, sleepyhead,
And hop you gently off to bed.
It's time for sleep, and this fun-to-read rhyming tale envisions the bedtime rituals of animals from whales to otters, squirrels to gorillas.
So curl up, imagine your favorite animal, and...zzzzzzzzzzz.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published April 4, 2017
3 people are currently reading
73 people want to read
About the author
Mylisa Larsen
7 books39 followersMylisa Larsen has been telling stories for a long time. This has caused her to get gimlet-eyed looks from her parents, her siblings and, later, her own children when they felt that certain stories had been embellished beyond acceptable limits. She now writes children’s books where her talents for hyperbole are actually rewarded.
She is the author of the middle grade novels Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better and Playing Through The Turnaround and the picture books All Of Those Babies, If I Were A Kangaroo, How To Put Your Parents To Bed and Ho Ho Homework.
She has lived in eight states and two countries and has loved things about all of them. The first place she always finds is the library.
You can visit her online at http://mylisalarsen.com
She is the author of the middle grade novels Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better and Playing Through The Turnaround and the picture books All Of Those Babies, If I Were A Kangaroo, How To Put Your Parents To Bed and Ho Ho Homework.
She has lived in eight states and two countries and has loved things about all of them. The first place she always finds is the library.
You can visit her online at http://mylisalarsen.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews
April 7, 2017
Check out this and other reviews on my young adult book blog, Here's to Happy Endings!
I love picture books that focus on parents and their babies - especially when I get to read them to my own babies. There is so much of a warm and happy feeling you get when you're reading about animal parents and animal babies together, and when you find yourself comparing them to your own kids, it's really cute.
I have read several books like this over the years (I've been obsessed with kid's picture books since my first daughter was born seven years ago), and now my youngest is four years old, and we still love reading these books together. Bedtime has always been a special time in our house - I have always read books to my kids, but I just love actual bedtime related stories like this one. They help make kids sleepy (and okay, they make me sleepy, too), and give them that cozy feeling that makes them content and happy.
It's hard to even begin with all of the happy, warm, fuzzy feelings that this book bring about - there are so many happy emotions being displayed in this book, and all in a positive light that will give little ones a safe, loving feeling as they drift off to sleep. The pictures in this book are simply stunning - they are illustrated in a playful way that young children will love to look at and get caught up in. The pictures tie in with the story and make it easy for kids to understand what is happening, even if they can't read yet.
The story itself is told in a nice rhyming poem style, which is really catchy. Since young children tend to really like books with a rhyme scheme, this is a great one to pick up when reading to even the youngest children. My four year old daughter has this book memorized, so we take turns reciting it together a few times before she finally drifts off to sleep.
Picture books like this one, beautifully illustrated and with a sweet, fun story that children (and adults) of all ages can relate to, are exactly what you think of when you think "bedtime story." It's destined to become a favorite in any home library, and it definitely deserves it!
I love reading this book to my daughters because it even makes me feel safe and happy, and the beautiful pictures compliment the wonderfully written story to create a masterpiece for a new generation of young children and their families.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
I love picture books that focus on parents and their babies - especially when I get to read them to my own babies. There is so much of a warm and happy feeling you get when you're reading about animal parents and animal babies together, and when you find yourself comparing them to your own kids, it's really cute.
I have read several books like this over the years (I've been obsessed with kid's picture books since my first daughter was born seven years ago), and now my youngest is four years old, and we still love reading these books together. Bedtime has always been a special time in our house - I have always read books to my kids, but I just love actual bedtime related stories like this one. They help make kids sleepy (and okay, they make me sleepy, too), and give them that cozy feeling that makes them content and happy.
It's hard to even begin with all of the happy, warm, fuzzy feelings that this book bring about - there are so many happy emotions being displayed in this book, and all in a positive light that will give little ones a safe, loving feeling as they drift off to sleep. The pictures in this book are simply stunning - they are illustrated in a playful way that young children will love to look at and get caught up in. The pictures tie in with the story and make it easy for kids to understand what is happening, even if they can't read yet.
The story itself is told in a nice rhyming poem style, which is really catchy. Since young children tend to really like books with a rhyme scheme, this is a great one to pick up when reading to even the youngest children. My four year old daughter has this book memorized, so we take turns reciting it together a few times before she finally drifts off to sleep.
Picture books like this one, beautifully illustrated and with a sweet, fun story that children (and adults) of all ages can relate to, are exactly what you think of when you think "bedtime story." It's destined to become a favorite in any home library, and it definitely deserves it!
I love reading this book to my daughters because it even makes me feel safe and happy, and the beautiful pictures compliment the wonderfully written story to create a masterpiece for a new generation of young children and their families.
Note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
November 28, 2019
Animals the world over put their children to bed in this charming bedtime book, with text in rhyme and colorful artwork featuring soothing shades of purple. Each two-page spread features a different parent-child pair, and a poetic description of the manner in which they go to sleep. At the rear of the book, a more detailed description of each animal's sleeping habits is included.
The rhyming text in If I Were a Kangaroo reads quite well - "If I were a kangaroo, / I'd pick you up and carry you / In my pocket, sleepyhead, / And hop you gently off to bed" - and the artwork is peaceful and soothing, making this a good book to read aloud at bedtime. I appreciated the inclusion of the brief factual afterword, with more information about each animal. Recommended to those who are looking for new going-to-bed books.
The rhyming text in If I Were a Kangaroo reads quite well - "If I were a kangaroo, / I'd pick you up and carry you / In my pocket, sleepyhead, / And hop you gently off to bed" - and the artwork is peaceful and soothing, making this a good book to read aloud at bedtime. I appreciated the inclusion of the brief factual afterword, with more information about each animal. Recommended to those who are looking for new going-to-bed books.
January 16, 2019
I was misled by the title. I thought this was more of a kangaroo story.
January 28, 2020
Thank you Dolly Parton for the arrival of another bed time hit. Though we got off on a tangent and now Conner knows that baby kangaroos are joeys, and I think that may have him confused re the nature of our friend Joey.
July 21, 2017
Fans of Margaret Wise Brown's The Runaway Bunny will feel right at home in this story. A mother tucking her child in for the night tells what she would do if she were various animals at that time of night. A kangaroo would pop her baby in her pocket, while a mother bat would just be waking up to find her baby some dinner. The animals vary from domesticated to wild, land creatures to sea denizens, and something as tiny as spiders to tall giraffes. The habitat and habits of the different animals are reflected in the text and the illustrations.
I should point out that the illustrations are drawings in pen or pencil and some digital coloring combined with ink washes that give each scene a softness perfect for a bedtime story. Also, the spread showing the mother giraffe and her calf is laid out so that readers must turn the book sideways to view it, a clever touch which emphasizes the height of the giraffe. The back matter, titled "Sleepy Animal Notes," has a paragraph on each animal along with another illustration of the mother and young one(s). Animal lovers will enjoy learning that sea otters use kelp to keep their babies from floating away or that squirrels use their tails as blankets or umbrellas.
Great for bedtimes, nap times, or any other quiet story times.
I should point out that the illustrations are drawings in pen or pencil and some digital coloring combined with ink washes that give each scene a softness perfect for a bedtime story. Also, the spread showing the mother giraffe and her calf is laid out so that readers must turn the book sideways to view it, a clever touch which emphasizes the height of the giraffe. The back matter, titled "Sleepy Animal Notes," has a paragraph on each animal along with another illustration of the mother and young one(s). Animal lovers will enjoy learning that sea otters use kelp to keep their babies from floating away or that squirrels use their tails as blankets or umbrellas.
Great for bedtimes, nap times, or any other quiet story times.
August 2, 2018
This month's installment from Dolly Parton's Imagination Library is a delightful bedtime story chock full of animal facts (considering it's so short with few words!) Each double-page spread shows an animal parent going to sleep with their baby, with the illustrations revealing habitats and the minimal rhyming text giving unique tidbits about each animal (the kangaroo baby sleeps in a pouch, the giraffes can sleep standing up, the bats sleep upside-down, etc.) The text is written as a human parent reflecting on how they would put their baby to sleep if they were each animal, and I was especially delighted to see the last illustration of the human child surrounded by stuffed animals that were the inspiration :-) Even more great was the added information on the last few pages that delved into more detail about each animal- how otters hold hands so as not to lose each other, and how kangaroos are the size of a lima bean when they are born (my husband didn't believe it! I had to look up pictures online afterwards haha). A great book for a variety of ages - read the simple rhyming text when they are babies, and older children will delight in the animal facts at the end.
September 19, 2018
"If I were a kangaroo... and hop you gently off to bed." Each two-page spread contains a four-line couplet telling how different animals go to sleep with their mommies.
SO. SWEET.
I truly love this book. And that's saying something. I've probably read it 524 times, as Joe has decided that it's a favorite. But I really don't mind! It's super sweet without being overly saccharine. It truly is a perfect bedtime read. It ends with the mommy tucking her own boy into bed, counting his fingers and his toes then kissing him gently on the nose, before saying "I love you, good night."
Sincerely: five stars and two thumbs up.
SO. SWEET.
I truly love this book. And that's saying something. I've probably read it 524 times, as Joe has decided that it's a favorite. But I really don't mind! It's super sweet without being overly saccharine. It truly is a perfect bedtime read. It ends with the mommy tucking her own boy into bed, counting his fingers and his toes then kissing him gently on the nose, before saying "I love you, good night."
Sincerely: five stars and two thumbs up.
July 4, 2017
A fun and adorable bedtime story.
There aren't enough good things I could say about this book in order to explain how much I love it. It's cute and fun and just so darn well-written. They rhymes roll off the tongue easily making it so much fun to read again and again like you'll have to once a child in your life falls in love with it.
Read the full review at YA Books Central.
http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...
There aren't enough good things I could say about this book in order to explain how much I love it. It's cute and fun and just so darn well-written. They rhymes roll off the tongue easily making it so much fun to read again and again like you'll have to once a child in your life falls in love with it.
Read the full review at YA Books Central.
http://www.yabookscentral.com/kidsfic...
July 18, 2017
Soft cozy colors help set the bedtime mood and rhyming text in first person can be read softly. Includes sleep-encouraging words, such as drift, gently, and snuggle.
Backmatter includes information about each animal in the book. Sometimes such additional information is not written at the audience level of the reader, but these are! I didn't know giraffes sleep only two hours a day, or that squirrels' nests are called dreys.
Backmatter includes information about each animal in the book. Sometimes such additional information is not written at the audience level of the reader, but these are! I didn't know giraffes sleep only two hours a day, or that squirrels' nests are called dreys.
November 3, 2022
Rhyming text and soft illustrations show various baby animals going to sleep. A nice bedtime story to calm kids down. This would also make a fun group read aloud, discussing how the different animals live. It's useful for all ages, but I'd paperclip a few spreads together for a baby or toddler story time.
May 11, 2017
Very sweet book and the author sneaks in all the different ways that animals sleep. (Very sneaky Ms Larsen). I think this book would fit a bedtime story time very well. Recommended Purchase. Gr Preschool-2nd.
July 9, 2018
What a fun bedtime story. The cute illustrations, and rhyming make for a story kids will enjoy having read to them at bedtime. We liked the information about various animals, that's included at the end of the story.
April 19, 2019
"Squirrels cuddle in a heap,/Swaying in their nest, asleep./If we slept in that nest up high,/The wind would sing our lullaby." Detailing how different animals sleep with their families, this book is a nice bedtime read. An Imagination Library book for toddlers.
September 9, 2020
This one was really cute. The rhymes were fun and the illustrations were really pretty! A fun little story to wind down for a nap or bed. The little girl I babysit loves this one. This is one I'd like to own.
October 19, 2025
Absolutely fantastic bedtime book. The illustrations were great. The rhyming was great. I loved the humor dotted in. My favorite part was the giraffe page! The end also includes blurbs about the animals from the book! This has become one of my favorite bedtime books to read to my children.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 6, 2017
It rhymes and the back of the book talks about how the animals presented sleep.
May 9, 2017
We each prepare to sleep just a little differently, but being made cozy by mommy or daddy is always the best way.
May 18, 2017
Cute for a young toddler.
July 7, 2017
This sweet little picture book is all about animals putting their babies to bed. It has short pieces of information about several different animals and soft, cozy pictures. A lovely bedtime story.
August 4, 2017
A cute animal bedtime tale.
September 11, 2017
My daughter absolutely loves this book. We have checked it out twice from the library. The otters are the best! Enjoy it with your kiddo.
June 8, 2018
Themes: nighttime, animals
August 30, 2018
The spider creeps me out, otherwise I would definitely use this in storytime.
February 4, 2019
Soothing bed time story with adorable animal illustrations.
For a babytime storytime, I would skip a few pages. :)
Information in the back about how these animals actually sleep.
For a babytime storytime, I would skip a few pages. :)
Information in the back about how these animals actually sleep.
December 11, 2019
This is a cute rhyming book that kept the kid's attention pretty good.
April 26, 2021
Cycles through various animals and lets kids know how those animals would help get them ready to go to sleep.
August 25, 2021
I love sweet bedtime stories, and this one is a winner. Snuggles with kids while placing yourself as an animal. Original? nope. Well done? yes.
January 2, 2023
Love this rhyming book about animal families!
January 8, 2023
Good bedtime story with bonus animal facts in the back as kids get older to learn about the animals mentioned.
November 22, 2023
The rhyming was a little rough in places, but overall a cute bedtime story for a read aloud.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 38 reviews