Early Book Review: Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! by Dominique Roques, Alexis Dormal

Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! is a picturebook written by Dominique Roques and illustrated by Alexis Dormal. It is currently scheduled for release on June 17 2014. Anna Banana can't settle down and go to sleep, the book she is reading is just too good to put down. Her stuffed animal friends are tired and just want to sleep, encouraging her to do the same. However Anna makes them suffer through delay after delay and excuse after excuse. Finally Anna Banana is sleepy, but now her stuffed friends are not. Anna Banana gets a taste of her own medicine.

Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! is a cute story that can foster a love of reading and open up discussions about being courteous to others and a thoughtful friend. I liked that while Anna was not ready to sleep, she was reading rather than watching television or fooling around. She really gets into her book, and is enjoying her reading, not just killing time so that she does not have to fall asleep. She also uses her imagination, and is aware that she is not being the best of friends to her stuffed friends- whom she gives the full personality of people. I love that she knows this and even turns the tables on herself when she is finally ready to close her eyes and fall asleep.

I would highly recommend Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! for bedtime and storytime reading. It works as a one on one reading or in a larger group. I think the issues of bedtime, being considerate to others, the use of imagination, and a love of reading can all be expanded on in family or classroom discussions after enjoying the story together.