Chengdu Could Not, Would Not, Fall Asleep
PreS-K—Sitting in his tree in the dark bamboo jungle, a young panda tries every trick he knows to fall asleep. "Chengdu turned/and he tossed/and he twitched/but he/could not, would not/fall asleep." Finally, he climbs up, finds his brother, plops on top of him, and dozes right off. But now, his brother is wide awake. Full-bleed spreads perfectly capture the expressive cub's frustration. Done in black and white with touches of green and gray, the illustrations have the feel of night in a bamboo grove. Simple words in black print on white pages and white print on darker pages take readers' eyes on a visual journey. The size of the pages varies to show the movement. A lovely choice for toddler programs or pajama storytimes.—Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN