“And on that granny
there is a child,
a dreaming child
on a snoring granny
on a cozy bed
in a napping house,
where everyone is sleeping.”

This book has already become a firm favourite with George. It is the first book that he really properly recognises both by its large size and by its repetition. He has always fought daytime naps even when he has been exhausted, but he’s very good at going to bed at night. I think because we’ve had a solid bedtime routine since he was about two months old. So I have started making The Napping House part of our daytime napping routine. When we’re home he sits on my lap with his special blanket and Bob the monkey and we read the book together and when we’re out I recite the story from memory. Even if he’s crying he’ll stop when he sees the big blue book and he starts to grin when I begin reading because he knows I’ll whisper “where everyone is sleeping” everytime and that makes him giggle. Who knows how long this will last, but for now it definitely helps him settle and decide it’s okay to have a sleep.

I really love how this book is so big. There should be more huge boardbooks around. The illustrations pan over the scene as it builds and falls apart in an ingenious way that I haven’t seen in a picture book before. Showing the same room from a slightly different angle on each page encourages you to look for the changes and how the characters have moved and to find that little flea on each spread. I am sure this is going to remain a firm family favourite for years to come.

So a big thank you to Daniette and will for giving us this wonderful book.

(all illustrations and quotes are from The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood, 1996 First REd Wagon Books)