The Bunnies Are Not in Their Beds

by Marisabina Russo, Marisabina Russo (Illustrator)

Overview

The naughtiness of Peter Rabbit meets the comforting repetition of Goodnight Moon in this perfect bedtime read-aloud for rambunctious bunnies everywhere.
 
Here's the perfect bedtime read-aloud for the very youngest child. Filled with fun noises—click clack, click clack—and a repeating refrain—good night, good night, sleep tight—this story is sure to have kids chiming in as they follow the antics of these bunnies who won't stay in bed. Kids will identify with these mischievous bunnies and their desire to play—while parents will empathize with Mama and Daddy's struggle to get them to SLEEP.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780525582267
Publisher:	Random House Children's Books
Publication date:	01/29/2019
Pages:	36
Sales rank:	615,105
Product dimensions:	7.40(w) x 6.40(h) x 0.90(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

MARISABINA RUSSO is the author and illustrator of numerous books for children, including I Will Come Back for You: A Family in Hiding During World War II, which Booklist called a "moving picture book [that] tells a story of sorrow, fear, courage, and kindness," and A Very Big Bunny, about which Horn Book wrote: "This gets at the heart of the ordinary child experience with emotional truth and sensitivity."

Editorial Reviews

In Russo's (Come Back, Hannah!) funny bedtime tale of escalating mischief, three rebellious bunnies try to outwit and outlast their parents. "Nighttime is here," coos the opening of the story. "Little bunnies are tucked in bed./ Good night, good night, sleep tight." But soon the sounds of "Click Clack, Click Clack" draw Mama and Daddy from their finally quiet living room to their offsprings' bedroom ("Sounds like the bunnies are not in their beds"). There they discover the long-eared little ones busily setting up their model trains. "No more tracks on the floor./ .../ Good night,/ good night,/ sleep tight," say the parent bunnies firmly. But the message doesn't sink in. Time and again, the grown-ups hear noises, climb the stairs and find their children engaged in ever-more elaborate activities; by the time the final admonition is given (the litany of forbidden behavior now takes up an entire page) the bunnies have assembled both a toy railroad and racetrack, concocted a raucous Wild West game, and even transformed themselves into a mini-marching band, complete with uniforms ("Boom, boom, boom!/ Honk, squonk, honk!/ Clash, clash, smash!"). Readers will probably respond with a fit of giggles-not only because the misbehavior comically spirals out of control, but also because Russo's crisply colored and calmly rendered vignettes make such an effective comic foil. Ages 3-7. (Jan.) Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 2-Three bunny siblings find much better things to do than go to sleep. Each time their parents look in on them, they are playing with cars or trains or pretending to be cowboys and even a marching band. Despite numerous warnings, the noisy little creatures just cannot stay in their beds. Finally the house is quiet, but when the youngsters creep down the hall and discover their parents fast asleep, they plan to play all night long. But soon a new noise is heard, the snoring of bunnies who have played themselves to sleep. A simple pattern moves this tale along. Mama and Daddy are trying to wind down for the evening with a bit of reading and some tea and carrot cake, but loud sounds from the bedroom send them repeatedly upstairs to admonish their children and put them back in bed. The colorful, folksy gouache illustrations bring real personality to the text with expressions of exasperation, amusement, and joy. The text is placed in and around the art and has a large, bold font to emphasize the raucous sounds of the little rabbits. Despite the winning illustrations, the tale seems a bit stale and overly long.-Catherine Callegari, Gay-Kimball Library, Troy, NH Copyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Russo's latest will have the parents of young children shaking their heads and smiling ruefully-and hoping to keep their tots in a crib. Mama and Daddy tuck in their triplets and go downstairs to unwind. But just when all is quiet, noises come from upstairs: "Sounds like the bunnies are not in their beds." Each exasperating foray to get them back into bed reveals yet another toy out, and the children busily engaged in pretend play. From trains and cowboys to cars and musical instruments, the bunnies are determined to keep on playing. Meanwhile, their parents have read, written their letters, had some cake and tea and gotten into bed themselves. This is just what the children were waiting for-now they have the run of the house. When sleep finally finds them, they are snuggled on the couch together. Russo's gouache artwork is brightly colored and pleasingly simple-long on homey details and facial expressions. Sure to spark laughter from both generations, this will find an audience with parents and children alike-and hopefully will not spark too much copycat behavior. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews