________________ CM . . . . Volume XI Number 15 . . . .April 1, 2005

cover

Ben Over Night.

Sarah Ellis. Illustrated by Kim LaFave.
Markham, ON: Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2005.
32 pp., cloth, $19.95.
ISBN 1-55041-807-6.

Subject Headings:
Sleep-Fiction.
Bedtime-Fiction.

Preschool-grade 1 / Ages 3-6.

Review by Christina Neigel.

**** /4

   

excerpt:

Ben can be almost anything at Peter's house.
He can be a pirate.
He can be musician.
He can be a cook.
He can be a potato.
He can be lighter than air.
He can be invisible.
The one thing that Ben can't be at Peter's house is a sleepover-nighter.

 

After struggling with the fears of sleeping overnight at his friend's house, Ben decides to give up being a "sleepover-nighter." His older sister, Robin, however, helps him discover a strategy for dealing with his anxiety, and Ben discovers that he can truly do anything at Peter's house, including being a sleepover-nighter.

internal art     This dynamic author-illustrator team have produced a visually and emotionally striking picture book. Sarah Ellis' use of language is simple yet poignant. LaFave's use of bold colour and shapes creates images that leap off the pages, immediately captivating the reader.

     Few books deal so well with the issue of sleeping over night and the basic fears associated with this common practice. Ellis and LaFave show, with elegant simplicity, how a few clever ideas can help a child overcome his fears and "be" anything he wants.

Highly Recommended.

Christina Neigel is an instructor for the Library and Information Technology Diploma Program at the University College of the Fraser Valley in Abbotsford, BC.

To comment on this title or this review, send mail to cm@umanitoba.ca.

Copyright © the Manitoba Library Association. Reproduction for personal use is permitted only if this copyright notice is maintained. Any other reproduction is prohibited without permission.
Published by
The Manitoba Library Association
ISSN 1201-9364
Hosted by the University of Manitoba.
 

NEXT REVIEW | TABLE OF CONTENTS FOR THIS ISSUE - April 1, 2005.

AUTHORS | TITLES | MEDIA REVIEWS | PROFILES | BACK ISSUES | SEARCH | CMARCHIVE | HOME