by Audrey Wood, Illustrated by Don Wood
We have owned this book, since I took it home from one of Kylie's doctor's appointments when we were preparing for her spinal surgery back in 2008. She had brought it home from her public school library before that, and I remembered how fun it was. Cincinnati area residents and Half Price Books donated tons of used Children's Books to Cincinnati Children's Hospital, and afterwards, they posted signs to take one (or two or seven) home with you. I did. It was one of those, Mom-You're-Embarrassing-Me kind of moments...me asking the nurse, "You mean, we can really take a few (or seven) of these?"...So sorry Kylie, moving on...
This book is by a husband and wife team. Audrey Wood is the author, her husband, Don Wood is the illustrator. Audrey came from a family of circus performers and artists. She knew she would be a Children's Book author in grade school. She read a Children's Book to her husband on their honeymoon, and he was hooked. She started writing her books once they had their first son. Isn't that one of the neatest stories about a Children's Book author you have ever heard?
This Children's Book is a very easy (would be great for a beginning reader), light, and silly story about a Child who has a sleepover with their Granny. Outside the bedroom window, it's dark and rainy. But the bed is cozy, the Granny is snoring, and the Child is dreaming. Through the night, the Granny, the child, and all their pets (and their pet's pets) end up in bed together. As the story progresses, and the night turns to morning, each picture gets a little lighter. And a surprise wakes them all up together, with the bright Sunshine spilling in through the bedroom window.
The house in the book is illustrated after the author's (and illustrator's) own home. And the last page in the book is such a wonderful picture of the relationship a Grandma can share with their GrandChild. It shows the Granny (donning her Apron) and the Child playing out in the yard... complete with a tricycle, tree house, tree swing, flower-boxed windows, white picket fence and a rainbow. Heavenly!
This is a very fun Children's Book that the kids and I have enjoyed reading and laughing at many, many times. It would also be a great book to keep at Granny's house (or Nana's or Mamaw's, as we like to call our Grandmas:)
