It’s Melody Mooner’s bedtime and she’s decided there are better things to do than sleep. As different family members urge her to go to bed hour by hour, she thinks of a list of reasons to stay up — punctuating each one with “I’m not going to bed…“
Through the evening she plays with her blocks, watches television, bakes cookies, plays tag, rides her trike, and finally, heads out for an all night star gazing session. “I’m not going to bed,” she announces. “I’m going to count the stars. All night long!”
Melody’s humorous resistance to her family’s pleas introduces young readers to a range of clocks and watches, a perfect opportunity for teachers and parents to talk about time.
Author Frank B. Edwards’ text is playful and light; John Bianchi’s illustrations are cleverly funny. It’s a wonderful combination that has entertained young readers, parents and teachers in all 40 books the duo have created. The paper edition continues to be a library favorite.
The pictures offer plenty to talk and laugh about for both readers and non-readers as “All night long!” becomes a refrain for readers of all ages.
This multi-touch edition has no distracting sounds or animation — it’s an ebook meant to be read aloud — but the story is followed by a light-hearted multiple-choice quiz and a photographic slide show of some Mooner-like situations the author experienced as a kid.
Accelerated Reader supported.
ATOS book level: 1.1
Interest level: lower grades
AR Points: .5
Rating: 3.5/4.0
Word count: 180
