Story Time: Goodnight Already

While browsing my favourite bookshop, I was immediately drawn to the cover illustration of Goodnight Already. It depicts a doleful looking bear, and as I’ve always loved bears, I simply could not resist. My love of bears stems from my youth. I grew up near the Jardin des Plantes in Paris, and everyday, when the bell rang sounding freedom from school, I would dash over to the Gardens where if I was lucky, I could catch a glimpse of the bears they kept there. I would climb a little wall, and peer through the leaves of a bush, all in the hopes of catching sight of that most wondrous and massive of creatures… the bear!

Considering my history, it is no wonder that this book had me from the front cover. I often buy books for their illustrations and the illustrations that Benji Davies created for Goodnight Already certainly are enough to sell this book. He mixes textures and colors beautifully, creating depth not with backgrounds, but rather with the characters themselves. The textures that make up the bear are rich and complex, and create a striking contrast with the monotone but vibrant coloured backgrounds.

The story itself by Jory John does not disappoint either. It had my son and I in stitches, and instantly earned itself a place as a story time favourite. Goodnight Already is about a bear who just wants to go to sleep. He has his little pink teddy bear in hand, and he is oh so tired. His neighbour Duck, however, has other ideas! He is oh so bored, and determined to play with his best pal Bear. Duck keeps asking bear to do things with him, each request more absurd than the last, as Bear has no interest in entertaining any of them. So Duck just keeps asking progressively sillier questions, and Bear just keeps saying No, No, NO, NOO! This repetition makes for an engaging read, as your kid will catch on, and will know when it’s time to yell NO! I had so much fun making different voices for Bear and Duck, and my son loved every minute of it.

Check out this hilarious trailer for the book! My inner animator was delighted to discover an animated trailer for such a fun read.