Feet, Go to Sleep - Hardcover

BARBARA BOTTNER studied painting in Paris, worked as a set designer, toured as part of an acting ensemble, and made animated shorts for Sesame Street before turning to writing and illustrating children’s books. She is the author of more than 36 books, including Miss Brooks Loves Books! (and I don’t), illustrated by Michael Emberley, and Bootsie Barker Bites, illustrated by Peggy Rathmann. She lives in Los Angeles, and you can visit her on the Web at barbarabottnerbooks.com.
 
MAGGIE SMITH’s acclaimed books include One Naked Baby; Dear Daisy, Get Well Soon; Desser the Best Ever Cat; and Christmas with the Mousekins. She lives in Seattle. You can find her on the Web at maggiebooks.com, and on etsy at maggierama.etsy.com.

K-Gr 2—Veteran author and illustrator Bottner and Smith team up to create a charming seaside bedtime story. Pajama-clad Fiona is standing on her head on her bed when Mama comes to tell her it is "time to say good night." Fiona clearly is not sleepy, but Mama suggests that she must be tired "from her head to her toes." Thus the scene is set for each successive page turn, as Fiona acquiesces and commands first her toes, then her feet, then her knees, legs and tummy, her shoulders, her arms, hands and fingers, then her mouth and finally her ears, to "go to sleep." Inset pictures on every page show Fiona gradually settling into her bed and relaxing each part of her body. The full-page illustrations behind the insets depict Fiona and her family enjoying their day at the beach. "Feet were for stomping in the waves.... Legs were for running after the cousins.... Arms were for catching the beach ball." After Fiona has focused on and relaxed every bit of her body she is able to close her eyes and drift off. Smith's colorful mixed-media illustrations exude all the fun of a summer's day spent at the ocean, topped off with a barbecue picnic dinner on the beach house lawn. The dual-scene spreads include just enough detail to juxtapose the excitement of the day with the scenario of a child learning to soothe herself to sleep. VERDICT A gentle, joyous addition to most collections.—Lynn Van Auken, Oak Bluffs School, Oak Bluffs, MA