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Overview
Everyone agrees that Cutie LaRue is a perfect child . . . except at bedtime. She just isn't tired. Cutie's parents try absolutely everything to get her to bed—with disastrous results. But finally they discover Night Owl, a wondrous toy that takes Cutie on a fantastic journey to Dreamland.
The award-winning author and illustrator team of Andrea Davis Pinkney and Brian Pinkney have created a world of magic and music, perfect for children who just can't seem to fall asleep—and for the sleepless parents who help them through the ordeal. With Cutie LaRue and Night Owl for company, bedtime will never be the same.
Cutie LaRue is perfect in nearly every way, but her sleeplessness causes problems for her parents until they send for a new toy that introduces Cutie to the Dreamland Nightclub.
Synopsis
A magical toy is the only solution for Cutie's bedtime problem
Barbara L. Talcroft - Children's Literature
Parents of energetic non-sleepers will sympathize with Cutie La Rue's mother and father, though few will have tried the remedy they discover. Enter Night Owl, a white satin bird with a top hat and a touch of magic. At the press of a button, the nattily dressed owl takes Cutie and her toys on a nighttime tour of a jazzy dreamland "uptown," replete with jazz piano, snare drums, soft-shoe routines, and songs belted out by Night Owl until Cutie just has to join the jam. Sure enough, after a night of fun at the Dreamland Nightclub, the exhausted little girl falls fast asleep till morning. Success at last, thanks to Night Owl! Husband and wife team of author (Andrea Davis Pinkney) and illustrator (Brian Pinkney), having brought kids award-winning books about Duke Ellington, Alvin Ailey, and Ella Fitzgerald, now incorporate their love for jazz and dance into fiction for the youngest readers with a burst of movement and color (brilliant purples, magentas, yellows, and oranges) and a radical change from scratchboard, the illustrator's more controlled signature technique. Combining action, music, and a snowy owl faintly reminiscent of Harry Potter's, this swinging bedtime story brings some very cool magic and fantasy to the younger set and may even wear out a toddler who wants to dance till dawn. 2004, Gulliver/Harcourt, Ages 3 to 7.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"It's a rollicking good time finding out whether or not Cutie's shenanigans with the Slumber Brothers, Satin Doll, and Sandman will ever tucker her out. Bright watercolor spreads are a perfect canvas for Brian Pinkney's playful trademark pen-and-ink illustrations. A satisfying read-aloud for little insomniacs." School Library Journal"With washes bright enough to waken any sleepyhead, the ink drawings bustle with movement and with rhythmically repeated lines that create their own visual music within the pictures. A fanciful romp for the 'I can't sleep' set." Booklist
Children's Literature
Parents of energetic non-sleepers will sympathize with Cutie La Rue's mother and father, though few will have tried the remedy they discover. Enter Night Owl, a white satin bird with a top hat and a touch of magic. At the press of a button, the nattily dressed owl takes Cutie and her toys on a nighttime tour of a jazzy dreamland "uptown," replete with jazz piano, snare drums, soft-shoe routines, and songs belted out by Night Owl until Cutie just has to join the jam. Sure enough, after a night of fun at the Dreamland Nightclub, the exhausted little girl falls fast asleep till morning. Success at last, thanks to Night Owl! Husband and wife team of author (Andrea Davis Pinkney) and illustrator (Brian Pinkney), having brought kids award-winning books about Duke Ellington, Alvin Ailey, and Ella Fitzgerald, now incorporate their love for jazz and dance into fiction for the youngest readers with a burst of movement and color (brilliant purples, magentas, yellows, and oranges) and a radical change from scratchboard, the illustrator's more controlled signature technique. Combining action, music, and a snowy owl faintly reminiscent of Harry Potter's, this swinging bedtime story brings some very cool magic and fantasy to the younger set and may even wear out a toddler who wants to dance till dawn. 2004, Gulliver/Harcourt, Ages 3 to 7.—Barbara L. Talcroft