Welcome To The Basketful Relief Project

Reviewed by Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite, 2023

Is it bedtime? The goats on Bouncing Baby Farm still want to play, and when placed in their pens, they decide it’s a better time to eat than sleep. The chickens are clucking and making a fuss, but they’re not ready for bed, even if they are in the barn. And then there are the playful ducks splashing away in the water. They’re not ready for bed; they’re still having fun playing in the water. Just like children, animals don’t want to go to bed, especially when there are still so many fun things to do and good food to eat. Join the fun in Get to Bed! by Catherine Ann Russell with illustrations by Morgan Quist Sooy.

Catherine Ann Russell’s picture book, Get to Bed!, is a fun look at bedtime on the farm. Told in rhyming verse, this lyrical treat will have young readers chuckling along with the animal antics as the animals on this particular farm, the goats, the chickens, and the ducks, refuse to oblige their caretaker, who is also the narrator, and the repeated requests to go to bed. The language is simple, so early readers can follow along. Morgan Quist Sooy’s illustrations are fun, playful, full of life and energy, and help move this charming story forward. When the caretaker finds success in bedding down the animals for the night, the good owl outside kindly informs them, after a cheery good night, of course, “that soon it will dawn of new day!” and life will go on all over again. This is a great learning tool for young readers as it teaches them about a few farm animals, the magic of colors in the night sky, and numbers. A fun and educational read.