When The World Is Ready For Bed by Gillian Shields and Anna Currey

When The World Is Ready For Bed by Gillian Shields and Anna Currey
Buy When The World Is Ready For Bed by Gillian Shields and Anna Currey at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com
Category: For Sharing
Reviewer: Keith Dudhnath
Summary: A sweet bedtime book about rabbits going about their evening routine. The simple rhymes and gentle tone makes it ideal for reading to the young 'uns last thing at night, as they doze off.
Buy? Yes	Borrow? Yes
Pages: 32	Date: September 2009
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 978-1599903392
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It's evening, and three little rabbits have to go through their routine before bedtime. Supper, tidy up, bath, story, bed. You know how it goes.

Bedtime stories are a common theme in picture books - indeed, Bookbag recently picked its favourites. When The World Is Ready For Bed sits comfortably alongside them, and makes for a nice relaxing read last thing at night. Rather than having children/rabbits who are having trouble sleeping (as in so many other books) it simply presents the events of the evening in a pleasant, matter-of-fact manner.

There's a simple set of rhymes too, nothing too complicated, nothing too exciting, just clear, direct and soothing. It's perfect for (if the author will excuse me!) dozing off to. It's not as lyrical as a lullaby, but it creates a similar sort of atmosphere. I really liked the touch of ending with tomorrow waiting for you - there's a pleasant open-endedness to it, rather than the usual and potentially jarring and then they fell asleep. The end.

Anna Currey's illustrations suit the mood of the book perfectly. The rabbits and their home are sweet without being saccharine, traditional without being stuffy. There are hints of Beatrix Potter's illustrations - but then of course, it's hard to have any book about rabbits without thinking of her. There's plenty going on in the early pages, whilst there's still life in the evening, but as the pace of the book slows, so the illustrations become appropriately simpler.

When The World Is Ready For Bed is the sort of book that children will make an immediate beeline for, but add it to your bookshelves and you'll find it gets read surprisingly often. Recommended.

My thanks to the publishers for sending it to Bookbag.

Your first port of call for further reading should be the aforementioned Top Ten Picture Books For Overcoming Bedtime Woes. It's about a guinea pig, rather than a rabbit, but fans of all things fluffy and cute will enjoy Christopher Nibble by Charlotte Middleton.

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You can read more book reviews or buy When The World Is Ready For Bed by Gillian Shields and Anna Currey at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
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