Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
The Napping House
Illustrator: Don Wood
Board book
For ages 3 to 5
Harcourt Children's Books, 2009 ISBN: 978-0152014179
Everyone in the house is asleep on this rainy night. Granny is in her bed, the dog is on the rug, the child is in the chair, the cat is in the basket, and the mouse is asleep on top of the mirror frame. Then, one by one the child and the animals, still half asleep, climb into bed with the granny. All is still quiet and sleepy until a wide awake flea decides to sit on the mouse. Then the peace is abruptly shattered, and chaos, in a series of wild awakenings, ensues.
Blue toned illustrations capture the somnolent mood of sleep and calm as this story begins. Then bursts of bright colour flash across the pages as the peace is broken as the characters start to wake up. The wild confusion of the waking is sure to delight children, who will find the rhythmic “The house that jack built” form of the text comforting and familiar. This book would make a perfect bedtime tale.
