I’m a sucker for jungle animals, especially baby ones, and most particularly, furry ones. “Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones” is right up my alley.
We begin with Mama Lion, gathering in her babies and getting them ready for bed with a thorough cleaning. It’s not just humans who have to take bedtime baths – these cubs will be sparkling clean by the time their mother gets through with them. It’s sunset and time for sleep.
Mama Hippo gives her baby a hug, and then a ride on her back to the swamp where they will settle down in the cool, refreshing mud for the night.
Baby antelope dash across the plains with their parents to reach their sleeping spot, where they will hide from any predators.
The baby leopards are tired from wrestling with each other all day, and they yawn, showing their sharp teeth, and curl up together.
Brilliantly colored birds seek out their nests, folding their wings beneath them and getting comfortable on the branches.
Baby porcupines, sleepy giraffes, energetic monkeys, zebras, elephants, and bats –each of them find their way home, snuggle up with their parents, and prepare to go to sleep for the night. From the King of Beasts down to the tiniest bug, everyone on the whole savannah is now fast asleep.
I like the restful, comforting tone this book provides. The chosen words are very gentle and rhythmic, creating a lullaby of their own as you read them. The illustrations are relaxing, utilizing the browns and beiges of the savannah. With so many pictures of animals drifting off to sleep, it’s a perfect bedtime book for you and your children. And my theory is – you can never have too many bedtime books.
(This book was published in 2005 by Good Books and was illustrated by Tina Macnaughton.)
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