You’ve been at work all day, standing on your feet, staring into a computer screen, and talking to customers all day. You are physically, emotionally, and psychologically drained. Your shift ends and the only thing you can think about is passing out on your bed, but you have kids.
You pick up the kids from daycare or school, feed them, help them with their homework, wash them, and send them to bed, but your kids got enough energy to power the city or town you live in. They want to talk. They want to play. They jump on your back while you are sleeping. They push your half-sleeping body back and forth, demanding you to stay awake until they get tired.
Goodnight Already! by Jory John and Benji Davies is a book for your family. Duck is wide awake. Bear just wants to sleep. Duck tries to make Bear entertain him with games and hobbies during bedtime. Sounds familiar?
I have read this book repeatedly to a three-year-old boy. He understood that Mommy is like the Bear and wants to sleep. He understood that he is like the Duck, keeping Bear awake. This book was one of his favorites, because it is funny and mirrors reality. The cover art and illustrations throughout the book are very beautiful.
Reading Goodnight Already! to this particular three-year-old boy worked in curbing his efforts to awaken Mommy for a while, but we had to return the book to the library. Without the constant reinforcement of the lesson, he went back to his old habits. However, his attempts to awaken Mommy at bedtime are not as frequent as before I read the book to him. Eventually, he needs to have a permanent copy of this book, so we can read it to him over and over again.
Use the YouTube link below to view a book trailer for Goodnight Already! in order to help you decide whether to borrow the book from your local library. It perfectly captures the humor of the story and the anxiety Bear feels when Duck disturbs him. To look inside the book, use the Amazon.com link below.
I recommend Goodnight Already! as an allegory to help teach empathy and consideration to small children for their parents’ need to sleep. Sometimes parents are so tired from work that they cannot play and stay awake at night. This story might help small children realize how important bedtime is for parents.
Reference
John, Jory and Benji Davies. Goodnight Already! New York: Harper, 2014.
Links:
Goodnight Already! at Jory Johan’s website
Goodnight Already! at Harper Collins Publishers
Goodnight Already! at Amazon.com
Goodnight Already! at Barnes & Noble
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