“A bedtime journey to a dream world you'll want to return to nightly.”
“The whole world is snug in their jammies./They’ve all brushed their teeth till they gleam./They’re all skipping out of the bathrom,/And heading off into a dream.” While bedtime books abound, making this a crowded and not terribly original space, Hop Along Boo, Time for Bed deserves special recognition for its first-class execution, combining soft and dreamy illustrations with soothing cadence and a rhyme scheme that makes it possible to read every night before bed without loss of enjoyment. As the book opens on Belle’s bedroom scene, repeat readers will soon recognize the toys strewn across her floor as a foretelling of adventures to come, linking the tangible world and the dream world in a poignant reminder of the power of a child’s imagination. Sutcliffe’s parades of almost doll-like children—with a mix of pajamas and costumes, toys and their real-world counterparts—tell a host of stories and make this bedtime book one a child can quite literally find themselves in. The illustrations evoke happiness in their use of the magic only illustration can create and remind us of the transporting power of a bedtime story as Belle climbs up four beds to reach a fifth that looks like it was snatched right from the classic tale of the Princess and the Pea.
Join Belle and her bunny, Boo, as they follow ballerinas, cowboys, pirates, and others through dreamy fantasies to a cozy bed of their own. Gentle rhymes and luminous illustrations will help little ones wind down and tuck in for a good night’s sleep. This lullaby journey is as captivating and soothing as any parent or child could want — by the end, there won’t be an open eye in the house!
Belle & Boo is a British lifestyle brand known for original, nostalgic ‘story book’ illustrations of children. Visit them at belleandboo.com.
This is an AMAZING book that I never get tired of reading and my toddler never gets tired of listening to. He’ll ask for this book again and again and again and when we had a couple night stay in the hospital earlier this year, this is one of the three books we grabbed as we ran out the door. The illustrations are peaceful and dreamy (the parades of children in their pajamas are my favorite!) and the rhymes are calming and lullaby-esque.
MARK SPERRING works as a children’s bookseller in Bristol, England. He’s the author of the children’s picture books The Naughty Naughty Baddies, I’ll Love You Always, The Shape of My Heart, and How Many Sleeps Till Christmas.
Mandy Sutcliffe’s inspiration comes from growing up in the countryside of Cheshire, England. She lives in Bristol with her family, where she spends her days creating the idyllic worlds of the Belle & Boo books, now joined by The Little Dancers, and drinking far too many cups of tea.
To Kate and Patrick for trusting me...and Mark for understanding my passion
Are there any details of Hop Along Boo, It’s Time for Bed that you particularly love that readers should watch for?
Oooohhh loads, I love the first PJ parade, the transition from night wear to what the children will dream about. I also love the ballet shoes hung on the tree in the dancing spread. The cosiness of the cowboy wagon and the tiny babies in the camping spread.