Time for Bed’s Story

Many young children often dread bedtime. For the young girl in Time for Bed’s Story, she finds a solution beyond the typical excuses told to parents – “I’m not tired”, “Just five more minutes” and “I need water” (although she does initially try these at the start). While left alone in her room past bedtime, she tries to fall asleep but becomes restless. After kicking her bed and trying to get comfortable sleeping on the floor, she gives up on sleeping and instead comes up with a variety of ways to keep busy, like drawing, reading and playing. In this lighthearted story, the girl’s sticker-covered Bed is personified and shares its unimpressed feelings on what things are like from its perspective. “YOU are not so great, either,” says Bed. This claim is backed up with many examples throughout the picture book. From the girl’s kicking, drooling, and jumping on Bed to leaving strange things like teeth around, Bed says these things are “not ideal”. Enough is enough, and Bed finally, politely requests: “…next bedtime, could you possibly, please, try to think of Bed’s feelings also?”

Bed not only has a voice in this story, but the wooden style headboard also possesses facial features: eyes, a nose, a mouth, and eyebrows. The complaints that Bed describes in words can be easily depicted in the exaggerated, detailed illustrations on each page. These illustrations also portray the untidy, cluttered mess that is common in many children’s bedrooms.

Time for Bed’s Story is written and illustrated by Monica Arnaldo who recalls her own eight o’clock bedtime as a child and who admits that she often could be found acting similarly to the young girl in the story. Surely there are readers who will also relate to this book, but who likely have never given any thought to the idea that their bed may have something to say about their late-night actions.

Time for Bed’s Story is different than a calming, lullaby-style bedtime story. It isn’t likely to help children fall asleep. In fact, it may give children more ideas of possibilities to keep themselves awake past their bedtime. However, whether or not children within the intended-age category find this book relatable, they will find humour in the creative twist that Bed has feelings. The book’s contents may have readers thinking twice about their own bedtime behaviours and what their bed would say if it could talk.

Overall, Time for Bed’s Story is recommended for home and school libraries; however, it doesn’t have the appeal to be reread often.