December 2001
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REMMY AND THE BRAIN TRAIN: Reviewed by Lynne Lamberg |
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The lure of TV and games makes it all too easy
for children as well as adults to stay up late. Though missing sleep
often triggers irritability, feeling "down," and trouble
concentrating the next day, kids often don't make the connection themselves. This book can help parents get that message across.
Remmy, a boy aged five or six, struggles to get out of bed in the
morning. At school, he's so groggy he can't add simple sums or spell
"zoo." On the playground, he fumbles the ball. The other
kids laugh at his mishaps. At bedtime, Mom calls on Dr. Zeez to show Remmy
why he needs plenty of rest. Dr. Zeez promises an adventure-filled
trip on the Brain Train through the Land of Good Sleep. The affable,
bespectacled, white-coat-wearing Dr. Zeez stands in for the book's
author, James Maas. Professor and past chair of psychology at Cornell
University, Maas also is the author of Power
Sleep. The Brain Train, Remmy learns, takes memories
of the day's events and stashes each trace in a special place. The
train makes a long stop at the Deep Sleep Hotel before chugging into
REM Station, a trip Remmy learns he'll repeat four times that night.
He awakens the next morning alert and ready for the day ahead. Guy Dannella's cartoon-like richly detailed watercolors
augment the spare text. Dannella shows the day's memories: math problems,
a trip to a museum, a bug on a blackboard, what Remmy had for lunch,
all traveling in their respective cars. Remmy's bed, with the addition
of wheels and headlights, serves as the train's engine. At REM Station,
Remmy dreams of riding a porpoise and flying a plane. His eyes dart
to and fro. A parent would need to explain here that "REM"
stands for Rapid Eye Movement sleep. On a CD that accompanies the book, Suzanne Scheniman
turns the text into a folksong. As she sings, the train whistles,
wheels clack, birds chirp, children cheer, and other sounds from the
day enliven Remmy's recall. Maas himself performs as Dr. Zeez. A website, www.remmyweb.com,
offers additional night sounds, sleep-related games, and sleep tips.
These resources provide a myriad of ways to help parents convey important
lessons about sleep. |
Copyright (c) 2001
Websciences |