Bedtime for Bo

A child adopts different animals’ nocturnal habits while winding down for bed in this fact-filled translation. Over the course of a pre-bed snack, bath time, tooth-brushing, and tuck-in, pink-skinned, blond-haired Mommy and child Bo insert wildlife-filled adventure into their routine. Once Bo gets the game started by standing on one leg like a sleeping parrot, Mommy continues, suggesting that in the bath Bo make like a walrus: “You can hook your long tusks over the ice and hang on. Then you won’t float away,” she says, prompting Bo to bite the tub. While Bo’s restive antics provide a dash of goofiness, Mommy’s dialogue takes a more educational slant—emphasizing the why behind different critters’ approaches to rest, from sea otters to bats to meerkats. Johnsen’s multicolored drawings have a loosely rendered, busy feel; jam-packed domestic scenes overflow with creatures, toys, and a rambunctious energy that make this volume a “wild” read. Ages 3–8. (Aug.)