Time for Bed, Miyuki by Roxane Marie Galliez and Seng Soun Ratanavanh is as precious and imaginative as the cover suggests.
It's time for bed, and Miyuki suddenly remembers all the things she forgot to do during the day. She needs to water the vegetables, prepare for the Dragonfly Queen's arrival, gatherthe snails...the list goes on and on! Grandfather, who is in charge of putting Miyuki to bed, humors her with patience and humility as the two take on all of her daily tasks, one right after the other, always ending with the refrain, "It's time for bed." But the excuses keep coming and Grandfather continues to adventure with Miyuki through strange lands to help her accomplish her tasks before, exhausted, Miyuki finally falls asleep.
This could easily have been a parent-child story, but the fact that it's Miyuki and her grandfather makes the book all the more tender. The two obviously have a playful and imaginative relationship, and watching them interact—or, more realistically, watching the Grandfather acquiesce to his granddaughter's requests—is incredibly touching. The inter generational aspect means that the Grandfather has not lost his sense of imagination, and he strongly values his time with his granddaughter, who he could easily force to go to sleep at any moment. The illustrations are watercolor and colored pencil, so their vibrancy is off the charts, making this book a simultaneously stimulating and relaxing read before bedtime.
Time for Bed, Miyuki published from Princeton Architectural Press on September 18!
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