Baby Bedtime

Written by Mem Fox · Illustrated by Emma Quay

A soothing bedtime journey with elephants leads to peaceful sleep.

5.0/7 Bookroo experts·3.8/5 Goodreads · 446 ratings

32 pages· 111 words· Est. 1 min read-aloud· AD410L

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Bookroo's summary

In a gentle bedtime tale, adorable elephants embark on a lyrical good night routine filled with kisses, hugs, and snuggles. As the night unfolds, the soothing rhythm of their journey lulls little ones into a peaceful slumber. Will the elephants find the perfect moment for sleep amidst their tender rituals? This cozy story promises a dreamy end to the day, inviting children to drift into a restful night.

From the publisher

Join these adorable elephants for a lyrical good night routine in this tender bedtime tale from the bestselling author of Time for Bed and Hello Baby! After all the kissing, and the hugging, and the rocking, and the snuggling, there at last comes a time for—sleeping. From beloved, bestselling picture book author Mem Fox, this cozy, dreamy bedtime book is a soothing lullaby that’s just right for lulling little ones to sleep.

At a glance

Format
Pages: 32
Words: 111
Reading age: 4–8
Audience: Picture
Lexile: AD410L

Themes & topics

Books about babies Books about getting ready for bed Books about kisses Books about lullabies Books about elephants

Good to know

Stories behind the story

What made you want to illustrate this picture book?

I first read the text for 'Baby Bedtime' in September 2011. My agent sent it to me without mentioning the author’s name. I knew immediately it was written by Mem Fox, and as soon as I started to read her words I began to see images in my head. I just had to bring them to life on paper! By Emma Quay (illustrator)

Are there any details of Baby Bedtime that you particularly love that readers should watch for?

In my illustrations, I wanted to show positive images of books being a part of everyday life. While a parent and child are sharing this picture book, they'll see the elephant characters in the book also enjoying a bedtime story together. At the beginning of the book, there is a pile of books on the coffee table in the sitting room, and I also left a paperback on the rattan chair, to which the parent elephant will return once the baby has settled. I see it as my own gentle kind of pro-reading propaganda! By Emma Quay (illustrator)

What made you choose to use elephant characters in your illustrations for 'Baby Bedtime'?

I loved the fact that if I painted purple elephants, I wasn't being specific about whom my characters were representing — this could be any parent and child. And also... there are so many more ways to hug, with a trunk! By Emma Quay (illustrator)

Can you tell us how you made the illustrations look so soft and textured?

I filled the images with the weave of linen, hessian and baskets, the patterns of printed fabric, lace, embroidery, knitting and crochet. A young child’s world is a very tactile place, and his or her experience of it is as much about touch as it is about sight and sound. I wanted to reflect this in my images, despite their being destined to be printed onto the essentially smooth and two-dimensional pages of a picture book. I hoped to convey a sense of softness, cosiness, warmth and envelopment through my choice of colours and shapes, the qualities of the drawn lines and the textured surfaces. By Emma Quay (illustrator)

What readers & critics say

Reviews

5.0

out of 7

5.0

“This soothing, rhyming bedtime book is sweet and cozy, and the illustrations make you feel calm. The text is pretty light, so I think I'd prefer this in a board book format, but it's a cute bedtime book, all the same.”

B is for Bookworm

Trusted reviewer

The author