Bedtime used to be easy for baby tadpole Cosmo, but now that he’s an active froglet, Bedtime is Boring! Cosmo and his mother have a special bedtime routine: a long bubble bath, brushing teeth, choosing pajamas, five stories, seventeen kisses, one sleepy song, and two snuggly hugs, etc. But Cosmo still won’t go to sleep. Every time Mom tries to go downstairs, Cosmo fires off every possible question that comes to mind. Then finally at 3am, Cosmo will finally fall asleep in Mommy’s bed. Only after Cosmo realizes that his lack of sleep is making playing at school harder, he realizes that some things about bedtime have to change. Only a few books, a few questions, and sleeping in his own bed, make him feel like a big grown-up frog.

Bedtime is Boring is from the Cheery Street series of books by Georgie Birkett including Carry Me and Snack, Please! While this book is great at making the topic of being sleepy/struggles with bedtime humorous for kids, every parent knows that it can be a struggle to work through bedtime troubles. This book could be a great tool for caregivers to help kids visualize what a good bedtime routine looks like and why it’s important for everyone to have enough sleep.

The illustrations are digitally created but have the appearance of looking like crayons and pastels. The colors are bright and cheery and are reminiscent of the Pip and Posy series by Axel Scheffler. The font and illustrations are really cohesive and pleasing to the eye.

Recommended for any Early Childhood Programs and Library Collections.

Reviewed by Gia Charles, Patten Free Library, Bath