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We''The day has ended''<br>''Hasn't it been splendid?'' <br>''But now, it's time, to be sure'' <br>''For an entirely different adventure'' <br> I hope you haven't forgotten how it feels to be much too excited for bed. If you're a parent at least, you'll soon have know how it is to persuade an excited small person that yes, it is in fact time for bed. ''What Wonders DoYou See...'' sets out to cater to these children. Instead of trying to persuade them that night time is calm time, it takes a slightly different tack. It tells them that sleep is actually an exciting time: a time of dreams in which imagination takes over and has no limit. But the trick in accessing this wonderful and exciting world, is to get calm and relaxed first so that you can easily fall asleep and open the door to it. So this charming bedtime book takes children through the fun day that they've had as a winding down ritual. You put away your toys. You get your pyjamas on. You turn down the covers and you get into bed. And then you shake out the day - no more ants in your pants, no more niggles and giggles,and you close your eyes and take a review deep breath and let sleep overcome you... ... and away into the delicious land of irrepressible dreams you go! I really enjoyed this take on a winding down bedtime ritual Justine Avery has imagined. She's included all the practical things that help a child establish a stabilising bedtime routine and it's genuinely calming. But she's also dangling a carrot - sleep time is as exciting and joyous as awake time and so the bookis also an enticing invitation to do all the right things so that a child wants to fall asleep quickly and get to the dreaming as soon as they can. I think it's a tactic that will work on many a reluctant child. The vocabulary is carefully chosen - mostly basic words but with the odd stretching put in exactly the right place so that its meaning is clear. And there's some delicious alliteration - eyes should be ''snuggly sealed'' - which simply begs to be read aloud. The rhyme scheme is a little forced and clunky at times but the rhythm is strong enough to overlook it, I think. The illustrations, by Liuba Syrotiuk, are ingenious and complement the idea behind the story perfectly. Bright yet soft, they entice the child into that dream world but never overload young senses. I loved the detail - planets hanging from a bedroom ceiling, gently shining stars in the sky, an outsiz epair of glasses. ''What Wonders Do You See...'' is a enchanting little story about bedtime with an original twist on how to get children ready for sleep,illustrated with vivid yet dreamy watercolours that extend and further the theme. I really enjoyed it. Other lovely books about bedtime include [[When Dragons Are Dreaming by James Mayhew and Lindsey Gardiner]] about a dragon who doesn't want to go to sleep and his fairy friend, and [[One More Hug For Nutmeg by Caroline Jayne Church]] - Nutmeg the mouse doesn't want to go to sleep either! {{amazontext|amazon=194812422X}}{{amazonUStext|amazon=194812422X}} Check prices, read reviews or buy from [ Waterstones]. {{commenthead}}
You can read more about Justine Avery [[:Category:Justine Avery|here]].
