Review: BEDTIME BONANZA
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 02 19, 2014
What a refreshing collection of amusing short stories written in rhyme! This collection is very different from the typical bedtime fairytale or animal story. I especially like the fact that the featured character is a very bright little girl named Frances Nicolson, who just can't stop asking questions. She inquiries about common everyday activities like baking a cake without a recipe and using the wrong kind of pebble as a skipping stone. Frances questions her neighbor about the funny words he uses like, “Hunky Dory” and “old curmudgeon.”  She refuses to believe in tales like the Loch Ness Monster because they can't be proven. Her imagination is unlimited: Frances uses her own backyard to go on an African safari, have tea with kings and queens, and climb the world's highest mountain.Frances' curiosity is insatiable. Some of her questions include:Do you have any bellybutton cleaners?If chickens are boneless, how could they walk?What's the difference between hunks and chunks?When the circus came to town, Frances had all sorts of questions for the clowns like what is the reason for their baggy pants and why don't they get dizzy from standing upside down all the time. Frances has a friend named Susan Jane who has a habit of exaggerating the truth. That exasperates Frances because she just has to have the right answer! There is only one time when Frances is quiet. Can you guess when?The bottom line of this enticing book is that you cannot learn without asking questions. That might be annoying to parents and teachers, at times, but it is the way all children enrich their minds. Collier is to be commended for a clever story line and a character who represents a wonderful role model for children.