Janet Sumner Johnson - author

Is Bedtime Ruined Now?

Details

My Thoughts

Unlike some children, Shailey loves bedtime. She even has a routine that works perfectly for her: Pj’s, brush teeth, choose a book from her bookshelf, then snuggle up for a story with her dad.

Help Wanted

But when her dad gets a new job, things change. He now finds himself busy, tired and distracted at bedtime. The nightly cuddles and stories don’t happen.

So what’s a girl to do? She fires her dad. Then she creates a sign. With Dad fired, there’s an opening for someone to read to her each night.

Who Are These Characters?

But the characters who apply for the job aren’t quite right. Sleeping Beauty can’t stay awake, the Gingerbread Man steals her book, and Snow White brings along her whole team.

This section of the book is really cute and sure to catch the attention of little ones. There are several storybook characters for kids to point out such as The Three Little Pigs, Snow White, and the Seven Dwarves.


And each time Shailey’s applicants don’t meet her expectations, she updates her post with additional wording. This happens several times, which only adds to the excitement of the story.

Bedtime

But will this determined little girl ever locate the right person for the job? Or is storytime a thing of the past?

This is a cute book that is bound to bring smiles and a little voice that says, “Will you read it again?”

What Concerned Me

I would like to have had an indication of why Dad became aware of the need to make a change in his evening schedule. (Of course, his daughter posted a sign, but it doesn’t show him looking at it.)

By not knowing Dad’s reasons, the ending felt abrupt and unexplained.

What I Liked Best

  1. The illustrations certainly contribute to this story. Courtney Dawson does a great job of matching kid-friendly pictures with text.

2. This is a fun book with an important message to parents tucked inside the pages. You-and-me-time is very important. And in this case, of course, I’m going to love that father/daughter time is book-related.

3. The story also offers a wonderful opportunity to talk about problem-solving. Shailey didn’t fall apart when things didn’t go her way. She immediately made a plan.



4. And lastly, at the back of the book are a few illustrations of the characters’ resumes. They are absolutely over-the-top cute. It would be a wonderful assignment for older kids to create a resume for a character too.

As an example, the highlights of Robin Hood’s resume are that his stories hit the mark and he’s known for making people merry. One of his interests is lifting peoples’ burdens (usually in the form of gold), etc. What a fun activity for older kids.

This book offers many different discussion points and would be perfect for both individual and classroom use.

My thanks to NetGalley and Capstone for an ARC and the ability to leave a review of my unbiased thoughts regarding this book.

About the Author

Janet Sumner Johnson lives in Oregon with her husband and three kids. She bakes a mean cinnamon twist and eats way more cookies than are good for her, which explains her running habit. Though her full-time occupation as evil tyrant/benevolent dictator (aka Mom) takes most of her time, she sneaks in writing at night when her inner funny bone is fully unleashed.




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