Aunty Lulav Favorites,  Book

Don’t Close Your Eyes A Silly Bedtime Story

Wave the LuLav 5/5 waves

Author: Bob Hostetler

Author Website: http://www.bobhostetler.com/

Illustrator: Mark Chambers

Publisher: Tommy Nelson

ISBN: 9-781400-209514

Word Count: 294

Published: 2019

This story is perfect for ages: 0-2, 2-4

Straight from Aunty LuLav

Not exactly the message you would expect for a bedtime story! But this silly twist on the usual bedtime routine of drifting off to sleep, may be exactly the fun your little one will relish.

A perfect length for the young crowd, this book, written in rhyme, woos the listener to STAY AWAKE and NOT TO CLOSE THEIR EYES. Bob Hostetler’s humor shines through the text throwing down the gauntlet of the bedtime challenge to sleep or not to sleep.

Avoiding sleep is the goal of many a child. The narrator of Don’t Close Your Eyes, seems to fully agree with them – reverse psychology at it’s best!

“You know that if you close your eyes,
You’ll never stay awake.
So keep those peepers open wide.
Don’t blink, for goodness sake” pg 13-14

By the end of the tale, your little one will want to close their eyes, just to win the challenge.

As animal families get ready to sleep for the night, there is always an outlier shone wide awake. Witty descriptions of animals “tucking in,” flow nicely in the rhyme.

“The squirrels are fully squirreled away.
The gophers, gophered out.
Young horses stop all horsey play,
and pigs sleep tail to snout.” pg 5-6

This book’s playful humor is perfect for your bedtime ritual and sure to be one your young child asks for again and again. Fully satisfying. Yes! This is an Aunty Lulav Favorite!

Scriptural Underpinnings & Positive Themes

Don’t Close Your Eyes is a lovely and lighthearted Bedtime tale.

Not overtly a Christian book, in one scene it mentions Bedtime Prayers having been said, as the squirrel tucks her babies into bed.

Here’s a shout out for “showing not telling” the important Christian value of prayers.

Illustrations

The illustrations are bright and happy. Mark Chambers fills the pages with rich shades of blue and green, with a yellow moon shining in the night sky.

The animals are drowsy, getting ready for sleep, but here and there, you see a little one with bright eyes – wide open! We all know that one child, who has trouble settling down for the night!

I love the Turtle spread, where the momma turtle is reading a bedtime story to the turtlettes and the Deer scene, where one fawn is wide awake and a sleeping/snoring mouse has joined in on the cuddling.

Mark Chambers includes cute details, like drowsy insects and fish sleeping under the water.

Overall the illustrations are rich and happy and sure to entertain.

Representation

Many different animal families are quieting down to sleep for the night. Bravo.

The End of the Matter
5/5 waves

Yes indeed, it’s time to sleep but Aunty’s eyes are open wide!
“Wave your Lulav! Shout ‘Hooray,’ It’s a ‘Favorite!'” Aunty cried.

Publisher: Tommy Nelson
ISBN: 9-781400-209514
Word Count: 294
Published: 2019

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