I'm a sucker for a rhyming picture book that actually pays attention to meter!!! ( )

This book is about a boy named Fred and how he can't sleep. In the end he finally falls asleep.

All the creatures of the earth sleep, from toucans in the jungle to ants tucked in the dirt to monsters (if they exist), but the boy Fred has so much to do. How can he sleep when he has to break the world shouting record, hunt for the legendary Sasquatch, and more?

This is a funny idea in concept but somehow the execution wasn't just right for me. It is neat to talk about the different animals and how/where they sleep, but I found Fred to be a tad annoying. Also, my hackles were raised a bit by the idea posited that books are "boring" and used by parents only to lull children to sleep. It seems like a book is the wrong place to float that idea as the audience is going to disagree.

The illustrations are okay, but a little too cartoony for my taste. However, some of the small details do add extra humor. ( )

This is a really cute story, written in rhyme. All over the world, animals are trying to sleep. Fred however is not. This adventurous boy has a huge to do list and simply does not have time to waste sleeping. Kids will enjoy Fred's antics as he fights to get his tasks done before bedtime.

Bettina P. / Marathon County Public Library
Find this book in our library catalog.

( )

Every kind of bird and beast has to sleep, from the monkeys in the jungle to the whales in the ocean to the ants under the ground.

But not Fred. His to-do list is far too long!

Armed with plenty of imagination, this determined little boy and his attempts to resist bedtime are sure to strike a chord with today's over scheduled families. Drowsy animals of all stripes look on in disbelief as Fred keeps on going and going and going, until . . .

Could it be that, after so much activity, even Fred needs to rest?