Fox, Mem. 2012. GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT. Ill. Judy Horacek.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Fox, Mem. 2012. GOOD NIGHT, SLEEP TIGHT. Ill. Judy Horacek. New York, NY. Orchard Books. ISBN 978-0-545-53370-6. 

PLOT SUMMARY 

Bonny and Ben, two children were spending a Friday night with Doug their favorite babysitter. They enjoy the bed time nursery rhymes and they prolong their bedtime by asking for more and more. Listening to “It’s Raining, It’s Pouring,” “This Little Piggy,” “Pat-A-Cake" and more gave them the idea to continue asking for more.  Eventually, they all fall fast asleep.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

The characters of the story reflect the typical childhood experience of not wanting to go to sleep. Although no specific culture is reflected in this story, there is a great balance of the characters' interactions and their immersion in the nursery rhymes being told to them. The setting is representative of each nursery rhyme they are in and changes accordingly. The illustrations are simple and capture the essence of the nursery rhyme in each page. It is also nice to see how the characters from the nursery rhymes are collectively placed as they sit and wait to see if they can get another story out of their sitter. The colors are subtle and there is a great balance of illustrations to text. This story, originally from Australia, shares a great deal of nursery rhymes we are all familiar with in America too.  

The role of a male babysitter might not be one many people are used to, but this story does a great job of sharing this which may be relatable to many people. The story of Good Night, Sleep Tight, is not one representative of a specific culture, but overall has an appealing format. Following the children as they immerse themselves in the nursery rhyme gives the reader the opportunity to analyze the setting of each story they are in.  

REVIEWS/ AWARDS 

Booklist, 08/01/13 

Christian Library Journal, 09/01/14 

Horn Book Magazine, 07/01/13 

Kirkus Reviews starred, 06/01/13 

New York Times, 08/25/13 

Publishers Weekly, 05/20/13 

School Library Journal, 07/01/13 

Booklist (August 2013 (Vol. 109, No. 22)): “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.” 

Horn Book Magazine (July/August 2013): “This could be a bedtime favorite, with kids chanting right along.” 

Kirkus Reviews starred (June 1, 2013): “This engaging, economical framing text is memorable and sweetly appealing, sure to encourage little listeners to participate.” 

CONNECTIONS  

A great connection would be to have materials available for readers to paint themselves in pajamas and a character from the nursery rhymes presented in the story to create their own “Good Night Sleep Tight” portrait.  

Readers can dress in their pajamas and participate in the read along with their comfortable pajamas, pillow and blanket.  

Readers can recreate themselves in the setting of their favorite nursery rhyme from the story such as “draw themselves in the bakery for the pat-a-cake rhyme.”  

Buck, Nola. A CHRISTMAS GOODNIGHT. ISBN 978-0—06-166491-5 

Yolen, Jane. WEE RHYMES: BABY’S FIRST POETRY BOOK. ISBN 978-1-41694-898-8 

Stockham, Jessica. BABY SITTER. ISBN 978-1-84643-279-8 

Rodriguez, Nelson. 2021. COLORFUL MONDAYS: A BOOKMOBILE SPREADS HOPE IN HONDURAS. Ill. Rosana Faria.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Rodriguez, Nelson. 2021. COLORFUL MONDAYS: A BOOKMOBILE SPREADS HOPE IN HONDURAS. Ill. Rosana Faria. Grand Rapids, MI. Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. ISBN 978-0-8028-5616-6 

PLOT SUMMARY 

The colorful bookmobile that travels from town to town, and visits Tegucigalpa every Monday. Luis, a young boy from Villa Nueva, Honduras eagerly awaits this anticipated day as he enjoys the happy stories Nelson and Gerson bring to share to the children of this community. He shares this excitement with his friends and family who could use some happy stories amidst the sad ones this underprivileged area faces regularly.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

The main character, Luis, reflects on the struggling times of his community by describing sad stories as large dark clouds. The illustrations directly reflect the mood for the town of Villa Nueva, Honduras through the dark blue hues taking most of the space on the pages and the not so happy facial expressions of the people going about their daily lives carrying jugs of waters, refiling water jugs from the well, making and selling tortillas through a cart set up. The socio-economic status of this country is one of a struggling one. Although the physical landscape of this country is a beautiful tropical place with sea life and vegetation, the economic reality is a difficult one. The illustrations balance the sad with the happy as the story begins with blue and dark moods slowly transitioning to colorful images incorporating culturally rich details of native animals, vegetation, and fruits as the book mobile’s weekly arrival brings joy and turns the sad stories to happy ones. The literacy activities brought by the Bookmobile helped children forget if they were hungry or whether they had shoes or not. This shows the joy the program brought for these children and the community.  

Spanish is the cultural language spoken in Honduras and there is mention of Spanish words throughout such as papá, tortillas, abuela, merienda (snack time). Characters’ names are in Spanish as well such as Ana María, Luis, Silvio, Nelson, Gerson. The setting of the beautiful Honduran city represents the characters environment showing the way of life by people walking around, selling tortillas on carts, getting water from the well, enjoying the book mobile set up and watching it leave but leaving happy stories for Luis to tell. The overall quality of this story is a great look into Central American life. It makes you analyze the economic situation the community goes through as well as how children look forward to being able to hold books and enjoy reading stories through the bookmobile. The illustrations accurately portray life in Villa Nueva, Honduras.   

REVIEWS/ AWARDS 

USBBY 2024 Outstanding International Book List 

Skipping Stones Magazine Honor Award in Multicultural and International Books (2024) 

Latin American Studies Program Américas Award Commended Title (2024) 

BolognaFiere Group Bologna Children’s Book Fair (2024) 

Bookstagang Picture Book Guild Best Book in Bookshelf Builders (2023) 

From the Publisher: “A beautiful, empowering story about the impact of literacy in underprivileged communities, based on a real bookmobile program in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.  

CONNECTIONS 

Putting on a puppet show for a group of readers would give the students a fresh take on a story. Using Puppets to mimic what the book mobile did for the community would give them first-hand experience of what the children of those programs felt.  

I would like for students to search the website of JustWorld International at justworld internationa.org and Asociación Compartir at compartirhonduras.org so they can learn more about the program and possibly get inspired to contribute to their community with a program as such when they get older.  

Alexander, Kwame. HOW TO READ A BOOK. ISBN 978-0-06-230781 

Capucilli, Alyssa Satin. THE LIBRARY FISH. ISBN 978-1-53447-705-6 

Lin, Grace. ONCE UPON A BOOK. ISBN 978-0-316-54107-7 

Rundberg, Johan. 2023. THE NIGHT RAVEN.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 

Rundberg, Johan. 2023. THE NIGHT RAVEN. New York NY. Amazon Crossing Kids. ISBN 9781662509582. 

PLOT SUMMARY 

Stockholm, Sweden, is home to a young orphan girl named Mika. She along with other children who live in the Public Children’s Home have been battling the deadly winter with limited necessities and are forced to become resourceful with their food in order to continue nourishing the children. Mika, one of the oldest children there has lost hope in being adopted but finds her purpose when she becomes a part of solving the mystery of The Night Raven. Her attention to detail along with her problem-solving skills helps guide Valdemar Hoff, the detective who looks to her for help. Together, they hunt down the killer who has been taking out his revenge on innocent people in retaliation for death of his sister many years ago.  

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

The winter of 1880 at the Children’s Public Home, in Stockholm, Sweden was a time of scarcity and resourcefulness. The diluted milk and the rationed bread for the little mouths waiting to be fed was a reality they could not shake off during the wintertime. They longed for warmer weather and feared each night would freeze over. There is a balance of good and evil characters. Mika and Hoff work together to catch the “Dark Angel.” Amelia does everything in her power to protect the children of the orphanage. The children of the orphanage have their own story of arrival and the family dynamic of older children helping the younger ones is a great emotional attribute to this story. 

The setting of the run-down, low socio-economic environment of the orphanage is consistent with the historical times of 1880. Children were also taken into foster care for forced labor and Mika worked at a bar as a 12-year-old girl. These are examples of how different life was in these times. The story is not rich in cultural details, but there is mention of street names representative of the area such as Skeppsbron Bridge, Lilla Munklagersgatan, Gamla kungsbron. The gender roles are present as we see Rufus a young boy at the orphanage as the male in charge of keeping the fires lit to keep the orphanage warm and Mika working at a bar putting up with inebriated male clientele with little respect for working children, to make some money. We also see a relationship between Mika and Hoff become close as they are solving the case of the “Dark Angel” and as they grow close, he looks out for her and even invites her over for dinner.  

The Night Raven, was a great read and did allow for reflection and analysis given the historical time. The period of the 1880’s allowed for analysis of the way of being in an orphanage and the setting of a cold winter with scarcity in every corner made this historical fiction story more intriguing. The fight to survive as well as the mystery of solving the “Dark Angel” murder case are strong portrayals of the culture of this fictional story. 

REVIEWS AND AWARDS 

Booklist, 05/01/23 

Horn Book Magazine starred, 09/01/23 

Kirkus Reviews, 06/01/23 

New York Times, 0813/23 

Publishers Weekly, 09/11/23 

USBBY 2024 Outstanding International Book List 

Booklist (May 1, 2023 (Vol. 119, No. 17)): “Dinner means watery gruel again, and Mika’s dark humor includes references to cannibalism. Originally published in Swede, the novel ends with justice done and, for Mika, a newfound sense of purpose.” 

Horn Book Magazine (September/ October, 2023): “Joyous, funny, suspenseful, and serious—an unusual and winning combination for middle-grade readers. Let’s hope its three sequels appear in Prime’s English translation too.” 

Kirkus Reviews starred (June 1, 2023): “Rundberg’s sharp writing gives readers a window into the underside of a desperate city grappling with a devastating winter, police corruption, and the cruel indifference of many of its residents.” 

CONNECTIONS 

A great activity would be to search maps of Stockholm, Sweden, 1880 so students can see what the setting of this story looked like. They can use district databases to do their search and recreate their own map of what they see.  

Having students draw a picture of what they think the “Dark Angel” looks like would help extend their thinking of this mysterious figure that was only described as a long, thin figure dressed in hat and coat. Giving the readers the opportunity to draw on their own imagination based off the description can be a great way to see each person’s vision for this character of the story.  

Streatfield, Noel. THURSDAY’S CHILD. ISBN 978-0-00-824405-7 

Porter, Tracey. BILLY CREEKMORE. ISBN 978-0-329-69956-7 

Nesbet, Anne. THE ORPHAN BAND OF SPRINGDALE. ISBN 978-1-72547-858-9

Raschke, Jens. 2019. DO FISH SLEEP? Ill by Jens Rassmus

BIBLIOGRPAHY 

Raschke, Jens. 2019. DO FISH SLEEP? Ill by Jens Rassmus. Brooklyn, NY. Enchanted Lion Books. ISBN 978-1-59270-285-5 

PLOT SUMMARY 

Jette, a young 10-year-old girl spends her days like any other child by attending school but also questioned if her parents loved her brother more than they did her. Emil, her younger brother, battled a long-term illness which Jette talks about by recalling family memories with him for his 6 years of life. His funeral and how her family grieved the youngest member of the family made her question how they felt for her but also made her understand her parents' grief. 

CRITICAL ANALYSIS 

Do Fish Sleep? Is a Batchelder Award Honor book from 2020, a translation of Schlafen Fische? (German) and the first English language edition. This painfully honest story of the loss of a young child is the reality some families experience across the world in all cultures. The story is not one with cultural markers tied to a specific culture, but Rassmus, includes cartoonish illustrations that are painstakingly direct and painful to any person. The family dynamic is made of two parents and their children. The story takes place in the settings of their everyday life; however, because Emil needs medical attention, they frequent the hospital often. Here Emil befriends a boy who is terminally ill like him, and once he has passed, Emil’s family tells him he has flown to Turkey to visit family. Here we see the theme of internal struggle as his family tries to deal with the topic of death and how they don’t approach it directly.  

The illustrations are accurate with the emotions of grief and loss. The drawings are simple, yet the green hue creeping up or covering figures accurately represents the cloudy/foggy feeling of internal struggle. In the beginning Jete’s character is not sad or confused. Her narration calls everything as it is, but as time passes, she begins to feel the emotions that come with grief. Her encounter at school with another peer who mentions heaven as the next place after death confuses her and offends her as she refuses to believe her brother would appreciate being compared to Nadine’s parakeet that was thrown to the trash. She could not imagine her brother as a form of a star, cloud or angel and in her anger she drew dark clouds in the midst of her rage.  

The difficult and painful funeral was too much for Jette to handle, as seen in the drawings and told in the story she refuses to see her brother be lowered into the ground. Once home she now begins to cry and the illustrations transition and follow her dealing with grief in her own way. The drawings are simple, yet make the reader stop and analyze their simplicity. This realistic fiction story is difficult to read, as no family wants to imagine the pain some families go through yet shows how people adapt and overcome their internal struggles.  

REVIEWS AND AWARDS 

ALA Notable Children’s Books, 2020 

Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, 02/01/20 

Mildred L. Batchelder Honor, 2020 

Publishers Weekly Annex starred, 09/16/19 

Publishers Weekly (September 16, 2019): “Brutally honest about the suffering that follows the death of a young sibling, Raschke’s narrative is at once excruciating, honest, and compelling.” 

CONNECTIONS 

Henkes,  Kevin. SUN & SPOON. ISBN 978-1-42875-634-2 

Levy, Joanne. SORRY FOR YOUR LOSS. ISBN 978-1-45982-707-3 

Spinelli, Jerry. MANIAC MAGEE: A NOVEL. ISBN 978-0-316-80722-7 

Students who may be dealing with a similar situation can read the book and connect with the characters who find a way to cope with their reality and find a positive way to keep their loved ones memory alive. Drawing a simple illustration such as the ones in the book can help the reader reflect on their situation and make for a beautiful memory to admire in their own personal space.  

Drawing a favorite memory of a loved one who has passed representing their favorite memory would be a great way to reflect on favorite memories with their loved ones. These parts of life are not easy but reflecting on something that made them happy in their lifetime would be great to draw on paper.  

Reflection Digital Tech- April Cervantes

I used makebeliefscomix.com to create my digital storytelling reflection for my course, Digital Technology for the School Librarian. At first I had to play around with the program and lost two drafts because I did not save my work correctly. Ultimately, I enjoyed this program and through this course and my young adult literature course, I realized I really enjoy comic books. My reflection of this course is told through a comic book strip page summarizing my learning from this course and my experience with digital technology applied in our assignments. When trying to upload my comic book, the text was not clear even when enlarging, so I decided to use screenpal to record and narrate it for you all. I hope you all enjoy my effort in creating my reflection through a digital comic book webpage. 

-April Cervantes