Barnes & NobleGood Night, Good Night: The original longer version of The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton

Has a wonderful atmosphere for a bedtime read

Rocking on the waves with this friendly group of animals invites to calming dreams. It's bedtime on the ship, which is sailing at sea, and the animal crew needs to get ready. They run below deck, get dressed, brush teeth, and, at one point, settle into bed. This is an original twist on good night stories, which does call for calm and sweet dreams. The idea of having animals at sea...without saying much but just placing them on a boat...is fun. The animals range from elephants to rabbits, a large bunch. They do everything together, which makes for a bit of chaos but so much familiar warmth. There are a lot of good feelings in these pages, which give security and the sense of belonging. The words are very simple, allowing the illustrations to carry much of the tale. These portray the animals in a way, which is great for young listeners and makes it hard not to want to be friends with these animals, too. There's a lullaby toward the end of the book with the notes, which can then be sung right along as the rabbits do their singing. All the elements needed to soothe young bedtime goers into sleep seem to be in these pages...and it left me also wondering what other adventures this group might have someday. I received an ARC copy and found this to be a very well done bedtime read.