Review: Ten Little Night Stars by Deb Gruelle Illustrated by Gabi Murphy

TEN LITTLE NIGHT STARS

by Deb Gruelle 

Illustrated by Gabi Murphy

Zonderkidz

Board Book/ Religious

20 pages

One!

One little night star,

Twinkling in deep blue.

I run inside to take my bath,

Then there are…

Two!

Ten Little Night Stars is a sweet bedtime counting book perfect for the youngest readers. One by one the stars come out in the night sky as cute and cuddly animals go through their bedtime routines. This board book will encourage children to turn the page with interactive and engaging rhyme, and will take them through bath time, story time, and sleep. Written by Deb Gruelle, great-great-grand-niece of Johnny Gruelle, the creator of Raggedy Ann and Andy, Ten Little Night Stars is the perfect bedtime story for parents and children alike.

MY TIDBITS

This book screams cute, while offering a lovely read to help those sleepy eyes close and drift into dreamland.

Through simple counting and flowing rhyme, young animals head to bed and cuddle in for a good night's sleep. The board book is sturdy with a slightly fluffy cover to make it perfect for small hands. The book will withstand some abuse and is easy to wipe off from minor messes. But it's the cover which catches attention. The glistening, golden stars catch the eye, while the big elephant supporting the smaller one sets the perfect, warm mood.

With a loud one, the first page starts off the counting. Each spread has the number and a cute four-line poem, which lead various, young animals from a bath all the way to falling asleep. The style is calming and repetitive, perfect for little eyes to start drooping. Following familiar activities, it's a gentle read which suggests caring, support and love the whole way through. This is a religious read but it's kept subtle and flows into an everyday setting.

The illustrations are bright and carry enough detail to allow young listeners room to make discoveries of their own and point them out. The text is simple enough for even little ears and packs enough emotion to make it fun to read-aloud. While the rhyming glides along smoothly, there a couple spots which caught off guard and broke pace.

This is a wonderful book for a last read before heading off to bed and is sure to become a favorite.


I received a complimentary copy from Booklook Bloggers.