Sleepy time at the Zoo

c by John Hutton is a bed time story with not a lot of actual story. There are things the animals do (but not a lot to be honest) before the elephant and rhino (the “mother and father” figures without going to deeply into that part of the theme) decide everyone has to go to bed happens, but that is it. I was hoping, before they head off for sleepy time, the zookeeper (who they have woken up with the noise) might catch them and she would be the one to (gently) tell them it was time for bed. Yet, like many stories with animals or toys doing things that they should not, the human does not catch them.

 

The illustrations by Doug Cenko are nice, except the cover and one page makes the three bears mentioned look the cartoon We Three Bare Bears. I have not seen that cartoon, but know of it and that made me say, “Well that is a bit harsh for me.” However, I do not see this as a deterrent for most people.

 

This book is “okay” even though there is nothing new or different. To make a tie-in with another book I recently reviewed, Cenko is the author and illustrator of My Papa Is a Princess. Cenko seems to have a signature style and it comes out here.

 

The one thing that I did enjoy is at the end a few of the animals that are directly mentioned or play a larger role, do have facts about them.