Book Review: Good Night, Sleep Tight by Mem Fox

 

1. BIBLIOGRAPHY

Fox, M., & Horacek, J. (2013). Good night, sleep tight. Scholastic Australia.

ISBN: 978-0545533706

2.  PLOT SUMMARY

When their favorite babysitter, Skinny Doug puts Bonnie and Ben to sleep, he begins by saying, “Good night, sleep tight” followed by classic nursery rhymes such as “It’s raining! It’s pouring! Bonnie and Ben love hearing the nursery rhymes and Skinny Doug keeps sharing more until they finally fall asleep.

3.CRITICAL ANALYSIS

I loved this book! Each nursery rhyme is added into the story seamlessly! The book is full of repetition and onomatopoeia that make it easy for young kids to follow along with. Reading through this book, remined me of all favorite nursey rhymes that I grew up with. Although the characters in this book aren’t very developed, adult readers can see themselves as Skinny Doug when they retell their favorite nursery rhymes “they heard from their mother.” The illustrations are simple and fun. The colors used are also simple and basic which adds to the classic feel of this picture book. Additionally each picture helps tell the story and the characters are added into the retelling of the nursery rhymes.

4. REVIEW EXCERPT(S)

Starred review in Booklist: “The Quentin Blake–style pictures alternate between simple, warm scenes of Doug and his charges and the amusing ink-and-watercolor pictures that illustrate the rhymes, sometimes quite intricately. A fun book that will remind parents to pass along the golden oldies.”

Starred review in Kirkus: “Sure to be requested and welcome for lapsits and reciting together any time of day.”

Starred review in Publisher’s Weekly:  "An instant classic... there's real magic at work here."

5. CONNECTIONS

*Have students sit together in a circle, and share their favorite nursery rhymes. As students are sharing, the class can sing along.   

*Engage students in a discussion about their night time routines. What are some of the things they do as before going to sleep.

*Lead students in retelling the story using Beginning/Middle/End format. They should add details such as the names of the characters, the setting, problem and solution and they retell the story.  

*Other books by Mem Fox

Fox, M., & Dyer, J. (1997). Time for bed: Board book. Red Wagon Books/Harcourt Brace. ISBN: 978-0152010669

Fox, M., & Teague, M. (2021). Cat dog. Beach Lane Books. ISBN: 978-1416986881

Book review was written for SHSU Lib

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