December 2001
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CLARA ANN COOKIE, GO TO BED! Reviewed by Lynne Lamberg |
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Clara Ann Cookie rebels when bedtime comes. She
stomps and yells till her face turns red. But Mom insists: she leaves
Clara Ann in her bedroom, and closes the door behind. Clara Ann, petulant, takes on the role of mother
herself. She orders her dolls and bears to bed. All comply, but what's
this? Popcorn, her teddy bear, proves as resistant as Clara Ann. Attempting to sway him, Clara Ann offers a drink
and another story. She tries to entice him with a puppet show, and
when that doesn't work, berates him. When the bear still refuses to
budge, she resorts to punishment: a two-minute time-out. Finally,
she offers to lie down beside her bear and sing a song. At last, Popcorn--and
Clara Ann--fall asleep. Children will empathize with Clara Ann's predicament. They may balk at bedtime themselves, but they will giggle over Clara Ann's exasperation when her recalcitrant bear makes her jump through hoops. The simple watercolor drawings provide a child's eye view of the events. A slight downturn of Popcorn's mouth conveys a realm of emotions. Without a single preachy line, the book shows tactics children can use to soothe themselves to sleep. |
Copyright (c) 2001
Websciences |