No Nap! Yes Nap! by Margie Palatini (review)

It’s the age-old battle of wills: Mom declares naptime, baby insists that it is anything but. Thus begins the tyke’s antics—running away from Mom, engaging in suddenly very important alternate playtime activities, needing a drink—that eventually and inevitably ending with the child’s sleepy collapse curled up on Mom’s chest. The story will be all too familiar to overtired parents (who will likely be amazed by this mother’s seemingly endless patience and willingness to give the child some leeway) who regularly engage in this dance, and young artists of distraction will recognize plenty of the tricks employed by the story’s mop-headed tot. Palatini’s usual linguistic facility is unfortunately lost here, though, in favor of choppy baby talk that renders the text more caveman-esque than endearing. There is a decidedly retro feel to the pastel digital and ink compositions, which are chock full of energy as mom and tot race through the house. The faces of mom and babe possess identical features—round black eyes, wide-open mouths, enormous piles of brown curls—lending humor to the pairings. While obviously intended for reading to the littlest listeners, this may also get some use by beginning readers, particularly those with younger siblings willing to listen.