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Stalling
Mom says it’s time to go to bed, but master staller Dan has other plans in mind. He’s got to visit the Nile, tame a crocodile, munch on some noodles, do a few doodles, ring a chime, solve a crime, mix leftovers till they’re slime! Zoweeeeeee! With so much to do, anyone would get tired at some point. But luckily, by the time Dan is finally ready for bed, someone else is already fast asleep . . . his parents!
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2010
25 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
December 21, 2017
A fun tongue-twister, but I don't know how much my storytime group got out of it.
July 8, 2019
A young boy goes through every tactic he knows not to have to go to bed. Will he be successful? Preschool and up
August 28, 2022
Creative, like collages, but random / dumb at times.
October 22, 2012
1. Rating: 4
2. A book review by Publisher's Weekly says, "Unlike Katz's many books of silly songs and poems, this picture book is an extended poem about a boy who avoids going to bed for so long that his parents fall asleep first. When his mother suggests a bedtime story, Dan says, "First I got stuff to do!" What follows is an exclamatory, frenetic, and long stream-of-consciousness list of activities that spill across the pages: "Creep like slow snails!/ Clip my toenails!/ Wrap my tummy like a mummy!" The meter is all over the place, and Katz throws in everything except the kitchen sink, emphasizing the boy's attitude that anything (even mathematics and making paper fans) is better than sleeping. Smith depicts Dan as a football-headed bundle of energy, who interacts with digitally collaged images of postcards, camels, dinosaurs, and more. Some of the incongruent activities will be beyond the ken of the target audience ("Act like a swami! Do origami!"), and Katz's ending advice ("Yes, kids can outlast parents--no matter where, no matter when") and the preceding antics are likely to inspire similar giddiness if read before bed."
3. The illustrations in this book are very unique. I liked the contrast of drawings and “real” pictures on every page, as well as the large scattered fonts. It may be difficult for a beginning reader to tackle this one, but I would definitely recommend it to a first or second grade teacher for a fun read-aloud.
2. A book review by Publisher's Weekly says, "Unlike Katz's many books of silly songs and poems, this picture book is an extended poem about a boy who avoids going to bed for so long that his parents fall asleep first. When his mother suggests a bedtime story, Dan says, "First I got stuff to do!" What follows is an exclamatory, frenetic, and long stream-of-consciousness list of activities that spill across the pages: "Creep like slow snails!/ Clip my toenails!/ Wrap my tummy like a mummy!" The meter is all over the place, and Katz throws in everything except the kitchen sink, emphasizing the boy's attitude that anything (even mathematics and making paper fans) is better than sleeping. Smith depicts Dan as a football-headed bundle of energy, who interacts with digitally collaged images of postcards, camels, dinosaurs, and more. Some of the incongruent activities will be beyond the ken of the target audience ("Act like a swami! Do origami!"), and Katz's ending advice ("Yes, kids can outlast parents--no matter where, no matter when") and the preceding antics are likely to inspire similar giddiness if read before bed."
3. The illustrations in this book are very unique. I liked the contrast of drawings and “real” pictures on every page, as well as the large scattered fonts. It may be difficult for a beginning reader to tackle this one, but I would definitely recommend it to a first or second grade teacher for a fun read-aloud.
April 2, 2015
It was time for Dan to go to bed. Mom offers to read him a story, but Dan says, "First I got stuff to do!" He proceeds to whiz all around the house and do random things such as hallway soccer, make paper fans, and call Grampa and Gram. When he checks back in his room, Mom and Dad are asleep in his bed. Dan takes off to do more.
The illustrations are a mix of photographs, ink and watercolor. They are colorful and zany creating a feeling of high energy and chaos.
First, I would not recommend this as a bedtime story. It is fast paced and high energy. At no time will your child feel sleepy while reading this story! And although it is fun watching the random things Dan comes up with to do, the author loses steam about 3/4 of the way through (oops, I just rhymed!). His rhymes and ideas become mediocre. I always feel that Katz's style is perfect for the middle grade age range so I do not agree that this book is appropriate for ages 3-7. A three year old may find this story to be funny, but it is not a good example of proper bedtime behavior and they will miss the irony of it completely. I would recommend this for a little bit older, 5-8 age range. They will understand the humor of the story and find it laugh out loud funny.
The illustrations are a mix of photographs, ink and watercolor. They are colorful and zany creating a feeling of high energy and chaos.
First, I would not recommend this as a bedtime story. It is fast paced and high energy. At no time will your child feel sleepy while reading this story! And although it is fun watching the random things Dan comes up with to do, the author loses steam about 3/4 of the way through (oops, I just rhymed!). His rhymes and ideas become mediocre. I always feel that Katz's style is perfect for the middle grade age range so I do not agree that this book is appropriate for ages 3-7. A three year old may find this story to be funny, but it is not a good example of proper bedtime behavior and they will miss the irony of it completely. I would recommend this for a little bit older, 5-8 age range. They will understand the humor of the story and find it laugh out loud funny.
April 10, 2011
I love Alan Katz, but I did not immediately love this book like I thought I would. In a picture book for kids, I want to be able to read it to them and have them understand as it relates to them. Yes, the concept of stalling and not wanting to go to bed is common, but do little kids really comprehend the parting of the red sea, firing a shot at Appomattox, or even what 'counting sheep' means? The rhyming was cute, but I could imagine myself reading it to the Kindergarteners and having to stop every other page to answer, "What does that mean?" Not what I want from a picture book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2013
The title appealed to me as I could see it was about a boy not wanting to go to bed. There is lots of rhyming in this story and it involves all the things this young boy does to avoid going to bed. It is one activity after another. The pictures are a mixture of art styles which make it interesting, but overall the story was ok.
November 10, 2010
Meh. Really cute with creative illustrations and ways to stall going to bed. However, I don't think kids will get half of the references. A master storyteller might be able to pull it off, but I don't see this having much appeal to read. Still, cool illustrations.
January 23, 2011
This is a picture book with part graphics and part illustrations about
stalling before going to bed. It is for 5-7 year olds and shows a lot
of ways to stall bedtimes. Probably would encourage imaginations.
stalling before going to bed. It is for 5-7 year olds and shows a lot
of ways to stall bedtimes. Probably would encourage imaginations.
November 18, 2012
(K-2) Hmmmm...there are parts of this rhyming book that I found to be quite fun, but then some of the rhymes seemed forced. It is a clever book on how children make up a million excuses on why they can't go to bed.
June 13, 2013
This was a hilarious book about all of the clever ideas that kids can think up to not go to sleep at night! Alan Katz is also the author of several books that you can sing like Take Me Out of the Bathtub and Other Silly Dilly Songs.
September 28, 2010
Cute book about bedtime good for older readers--late preK and school age.
October 11, 2010
disappointing from Alan Katz :(
December 6, 2010
A wonderful collection of all the different ways to avoid going to bed. My favorites are "dance real funky with my monkey" and "act like a swami, do origami".
December 7, 2010
The concept was cute but the actual book dragged on for me. Kids will love it though!
February 5, 2011
I wanted to give this 4 stars but the last two pages felt flat compared to the pace over the rest of the story.
February 16, 2011
Fun bed time book on stalling, would need to practice a couple of times to get it just right on a read aloud.
March 3, 2011
Literacy skills:
Phonological awareness- Wonderful, fun rhymes "Act like a swami! Do oragami!". These rhymes help with phonological sensitivity.
Phonological awareness- Wonderful, fun rhymes "Act like a swami! Do oragami!". These rhymes help with phonological sensitivity.
March 4, 2011
3.5
I like the graphics/illustrations more than the story.
I like the graphics/illustrations more than the story.
July 25, 2014
Neither of my boys (ages 4 & 9) liked this rhyming book. We didn't even finish it. Instead of being a story, it's a bunch of little phrases.
January 7, 2012
i gave this 5 stars because i know kids like little dan.
funny stuff
funny stuff
August 10, 2012
Since Molly loves to stall, I thought we'd give it a try. The rhymes didn't really rhyme (seemed a little forced) and she didn't quite understand it.
November 24, 2012
A lot of the rhymes seems off to me. Also, I recognize that the story was about the boy's frantic and desperate attempts to avoid bed, but the pages seemed cluttered and overwhelming to me.
July 5, 2016
This one wasn't interesting to Alistair right now (20 months), but I imagine older toddlers/young kids would like it. It's about stalling going to bed. Mixed media illustrations.
November 7, 2010
Too funny!
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews