Time for Bed, Old House

by Janet Costa Bates, A.G. Ford (Illustrator)

Overview

At Isaac’s first sleepover, he gets to help Grandpop with a very special routine—putting the house to bed—in a story that’s just right for children visiting a new place, or for adopting a new ritual at home.

Isaac is excited about having a sleepover at Grandpop’s house, but he’s a little nervous about being away from home for the first time. Luckily, his knowing Grandpop tells him it’s not quite time to go to bed yet—first, he needs Isaac’s help in putting the house to bed. Quietly and slowly, they move from room to room, turning out lights and pulling down shades, as Grandpop gently explains the nighttime sounds that Isaac finds unfamiliar. Now it’s time to read the house a bedtime story (Isaac is good at reading the pictures). By the time the house is settled in for the night, Isaac and Grandpop are ready for bed, too. Janet Costa Bates’s tender story and A. G. Ford’s cozy illustrations will have families—and extended families or friends—eager to take a wise Grandpop’s cue and embrace a new nighttime tradition.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781536209983
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	09/28/2021
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	1,039,489
Product dimensions:	9.80(w) x 10.70(h) x 0.40(d)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Janet Costa Bates is the author of Seaside Dream, illustrated by Lambert Davis, which was named a Lee and Low’s New Voices Honor Book. She lives in Massachusetts, where she and her husband enjoy having their grandchildren visit for sleepovers.

A. G. Ford is a New York Times best-selling children’s book illustrator and recipient of two NAACP Image Awards. His previous picture books include Hello, I’m Johnny Cash by G. Neri, Goal! by Mina Javaherbin, and Desmond and the Very Mean Word by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams. A. G. Ford lives in Frisco, Texas.

Editorial Reviews

★ 08/30/2021

Bates delivers a heartfelt, affirming multigenerational narrative centering Isaac, a Black boy nervous for “his first sleepover at Grandpop’s house.” As the duo’s board game winds down, Isaac protests that he’s not tired. “ ‘Then stay awake,’ Grandpop said. ‘But it’s time to put the house to bed,’ ” thus beginning a tender journey that assuages Isaac’s worries about the old house’s clicks, squeaks, and creaks. As Snuffles, Grandpop’s old Airedale, follows, grandfather and grandson prepare the home for bedtime, from closing its blinds to reading it a bedtime story. Warm, atmospheric watercolor illustrations by Ford present a rich variety of angles and finely rendered detail, such as the bedtime story’s cover of Ezra Jack Keats’s The Snowy Day. This touching, expertly paced bedtime tale will resonate with anyone who’s had a sleepover or experienced fright in a new place, and serves as a soothing testament to a compassionate grandparent-grandchild relationship. Ages 3–7. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

★ 08/01/2021

PreS-Gr 2—There are many ways to get a child ready for bedtime, from a simple story and lights out to other, more serious efforts at creativity. Isaac is excited to spend time with his grandfather, but nervous about sleeping away from home for the first time. Clever Grandpop has the just the right idea to ease the child's fears. He asks him to help put the house to bed first. Although Isaac has little idea what that means, he carefully follows the older man's lead. Together, they walk quietly through the house, enter each room, gently close window shades, and turn off lights to make the old house "dark and cozy." Along the way, Grandpop explained each click, squeak, and creak Isaac hears, telling him, "This old house makes sleepy sounds, just like you." The realistic illustrations of Grandpop's old house, its interior, and the outside landscape make this tale even more tender. The art is as charming and endearing as Isaac and Grandpop's bedtime adventure. VERDICT The rituals of bedtime, as encompassing and timeless as the bonds between generations, elevate a simple tale and make it an essential purchase for every collection.—Maegen Rose, Rye Country Day Sch.,

School Library Journal

★ 2021-07-27
Isaac loves spending time at Grandpop’s house, but is he brave enough for a sleepover?

Isaac is at Grandpop’s for his first sleepover. However, when night falls, Isaac seems hesitant to go to bed. When he tells Grandpop that he isn’t ready for sleep, Grandpop introduces him to a new ritual of saying goodnight to the house, explaining, “First, you move kind of quiet and slow.” This sentence sets the transition for both readers and Isaac as movements and sounds are described as “soft” and “cozy”—perfect words for snuggling in. As Isaac, Grandpop, and Snuffles the Airedale move through the house turning off lights and lowering shades, Isaac notices noises that make him afraid, but Grandpop is there to comfort him and explain the house’s “sleepy sounds.” Before turning in, he reads the pictures of a book to Grandpop, who drifts off in the armchair, bravely says goodnight to the rest of the house, and reads his book to his teddy bear. In no time, Isaac, Grandpop, and Snuffles are fast asleep. Ford’s illustrations of this loving Black duo within the comfy, older house are warm and tender. The rich honey-brown, gold, and blue hues are natural choices for a bedtime book. Isaac’s first-sleepover story is honest and one that young children will appreciate; adult readers will find it nostalgic.

A delightful multigenerational story, perfect for bedtime or anytime a child is afraid. (Picture book. 3-6)

Kirkus Reviews

It’s a cozy story of a loving Black grandfather and grandson, and Bates mirrors Grandpop’s clever strategy with a smartly structured narrative. . . Ford’s illustrations have an unusual sturdiness and dimension for watercolors, with a touch of toylike charm in the surroundings, in the figures’ oversized heads, and in Snuffles, Grandpop’s amiable terrier. Adults will latch immediately onto Grandpop’s brilliant method, and this gently soporific read will be a joy for grandparents to share whether face to face or over FaceTime.
—The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (starred review)

Isaac loves spending time at Grandpop’s house, but is he brave enough for a sleepover?. . . . Ford’s illustrations of this loving Black duo within the comfy, older house are warm and tender. The rich honey-brown, gold, and blue hues are natural choices for a bedtime book. Isaac’s first-sleepover story is honest and one that young children will appreciate; adult readers will find it nostalgic. A delightful multigenerational story, perfect for bedtime or anytime a child is afraid.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

The art is as charming and endearing as Isaac and Grandpop’s bedtime adventure. . . . The rituals of bedtime, as encompassing and timeless as the bonds between generations, elevate a simple tale and make it an essential purchase for every collection.
—School Library Journal (starred review)

Bates delivers a heartfelt, affirming multigenerational narrative. . . This touching, expertly paced bedtime tale will resonate with anyone who’s had a sleepover or experienced fright in a new place, and serves as a soothing testament to a compassionate grandparent-grandchild relationship.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

In Ford’s rich-hued, warm-toned illustrations, books appear in nearly every room of the house, highlighting the centrality of literacy to this family and foreshadowing what will come next. . . . A fine, uplifting intergenerational story of literacy, literature, and homemade love.
—The Horn Book

The book, full of rich watercolors, is a tender portrayal of a grandparent and grandchild relationship.
—WORLD Magazine

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