How to Put Your Parents to Bed

by Mylisa Larsen, Babette Cole (Illustrator)

Overview

For fans of the How to Babysit… series by Jean Reagan, a perfect guide for children with parents who just won’t sleep!

No one likes going to bed. Especially when you're not even tired. You want to stay up and have all sorts of fun adventures! But take a look at your parents. They're really tired. They're exhausted. But they just won't go to bed! Help them put down the cell phones, turn off the TV, stop cleaning the dishes, and go to bed! You might be small, but you can handle this task. Follow the instructions in this book and you'll have them snoring in no time.

Mylisa Larsen teams up with Babette Cole, author-illustrator of Princess Smartypants and Dr. Dog, to present a bedtime story like you've never seen before! Larsen's tongue-in-cheek bedtime story about a role reversal between parents and a child pairs perfectly with Cole's hilarious and bright watercolor illustrations.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062320643
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	02/09/2016
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	495,505
Product dimensions:	10.10(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.50(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mylisa Larsen was born in Idaho, has lived in eight states and two countries, and currently resides in upstate New York with her family. She is the author of several picture books, including How to Put Your Parents to Bed, and the novels Playing Through the Turnaround and Quagmire Tiarello Couldn't Be Better. mylisalarsen.com.

Babette Cole has written and illustrated too many hilarious picture books to count. They include Dr. Dog, Princess Smartypants, Mommy Laid an Egg, and The Trouble with Dad. Ms. Cole lives in England.

Editorial Reviews

Watch out, parents! This hilarious book is onto you…Cole's frisky illustrations bust the lid right off the secret chaos of modern family life.

The New York Times Book Review - Maria Russo

11/30/2015
Larsen playfully changes up the bedtime routine in her debut picture book, with parents and child swapping roles. The young narrator directly addresses readers: “Have you looked at your parents? Poor things. Just between you and me, they are not looking their best. They need to go to bed.” She then shares point-by-point instructions on how children can take charge and calmly address their parents’ unruly behavior, distractions (TV, cell phones, email), and excuses in order to tuck Mom and Dad in. “Now you can finally enjoy some time for yourself,” writes Larsen, though, as in most bedtime books, the process of putting someone else to bed proves exhausting in itself. Cole (The Trouble with Dad) delights in the parents-as-rabble-rousers setup, cramming her cartoons with comic scenes of the young, tutu-clad protagonist trying to force her doughy, fidgety, and easily distracted parents into their pajamas before literally dragging them to bed. Readers should find lots to laugh over in the household chaos of this topsy-turvy story. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Jodie Marsh, United Agents. (Feb.)

Publishers Weekly

Larsen playfully changes up the bedtime routine in her debut picture book, with parents and child swapping roles. Readers should find lots to laugh over in the household chaos of this topsy-turvy story.” — Publishers Weekly

“Cole’s exuberant pen-and-watercolor illustrations encapsulate the chaos of the household at bedtime. An enjoyable—and hopefully convincing—bedtime read-aloud, packed with enough energy that it’s sure to tucker out even the rowdiest of kids. (And parents.)” — ALA Booklist

From the Publisher

Cole’s exuberant pen-and-watercolor illustrations encapsulate the chaos of the household at bedtime. An enjoyable—and hopefully convincing—bedtime read-aloud, packed with enough energy that it’s sure to tucker out even the rowdiest of kids. (And parents.)

ALA Booklist

03/01/2016
PreS-Gr 2—First-time author Larsen teams up with the brilliant Cole to produce this original twist on a bedtime story sure to entertain. By addressing the audience directly, the author quickly captures interest, and the close-up of the protagonist's parents seriously "not looking their best" drives home the need for her to put them to bed. What follows is a madcap description of her valiant efforts to put her meandering and demanding parents through their nighttime routine. Both parents and children will delight in seeing their traditional bedtime roles reversed, as teeth are brushed, pajamas put on, distractions put aside, stories read, and upsets calmly handled before goodnight kisses are given and dreams arrive. These expressive characters exhibit incredible movement on each page, such as when the young girl starts tapping her slippered foot as her father reaches to pull his sock off because it itches and her mother begins to shake a pillow. Cole's pen-and-ink lines add motion and, when combined with the rich oils, acrylics, and watercolors, generate stunning and exceptional art that adds depth and comedy to the text. The parents' slightly pudgy bodies and too small clothing, in juxtaposition to the size of their daughter, highlight the ridiculousness of this scenario. VERDICT This is a story that asks to be read aloud repeatedly, and its charm is that it will not get old for readers or listeners. Highly recommended for all collections.—Rachel Zuffa, Racine Public Library, WI

School Library Journal

2015-10-14
Role reversal finds a little girl trying to put her parents to bed. Direct address aligns child readers with the "you" in the text—a spirited little blonde, white girl who resists her parents' attempts to get her to go to bed. After several attempts fail, the text directs attention to beleaguered parents: "Poor things. Just between you and me, they are not looking their best. They need to go to BED." Cole's accompanying illustration shows a close-up of dazed, disheveled parents with bags under their eyes. Ensuing pages show the parents resisting bedtime due to adult preoccupations—household chores, cellphones, and so on—brought to humorous extremes through the art. The story unravels a bit when outright regression sets in, and the parents simply start to act as the girl did at the beginning of the book by resisting bedtime for resistance's sake. They even demand bedtime stories. In a rather predictable turn of events, when they finally go to sleep, the little girl is tuckered out and falls asleep too. Although the story falters in these ways, Cole's art is defined by its energetic line and humor, which help elevate the book as a whole. This bedtime book is good for some laughs—even though it feels a bit tired. (Picture book. 3-5)

Kirkus Reviews