The Book of ZZZs
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- $6.99
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- $6.99
Publisher Description
Pigs and puppies, cats and meerkats, babies and grown-ups – all creatures sleep, but even so, sleep can take us by surprise.
With an artist’s eye, Arlene Alda has created a remarkably warm and intimate collection of images that capture the peace and magic of dreams. Young children will delight in the realization that no matter where or what we are, every living thing shares the same need for comfort, safety, and renewal.
Perfect for anytime, but especially at bedtime, The Book of ZZZs will help little ones accept that rest is as natural as play, and that there is time for both in a busy day. Minimal text, perfect for fledgling readers, whispers quietly along with the images and adds a poetic quality to this visual treat.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Alda's (Arlene Alda's ABC) paper-over-board collection of color photographs surveys the animal kingdom (plus a few humans) and finds a common bond: snoozing. A single line of text per page serves as a kind of caption to echo each picture's content. "All creatures sleep," Alda begins, showing a zonked out pig, his pink ear serving as a nightshade. "Some stand up..." (a curlicued flamingo balances on one leg), "others s-t-r-e-t-c-h out" (a billy goat basks in the sun). The animal pictures which also include a group of the always crowd-pleasing meerkats are certain to elicit "Ahhhs" from youngsters, while the human kids caught in repose, such as one girl who uses her father's head for a pillow while being carried piggyback, should strike a chord of recognition. The photography does not attempt to achieve fine art; the snapshot aesthetic (reinforced by the fact that many of the animal pictures were taken at a zoo) serves the book's modest intent well, and anyone in the position of persuading a reluctant child to hit the hay may find this a useful tool. The book's real appeal lies in its mild titillation factor: spying on another creature in a moment of private oblivion. Ages 2-5.
