Jake Stays Awake

Crafting a fresh take on the subject of bedtime can be a tiring feat, though Wright is up to the task in his debut picture book. Singsong verses describe Jake's parents' struggles with their son, who refuses to sleep in his own room (""So every night around ten forty-four,/ he'd wander on up to his mom and dad's door,/ and stand there and knock, till they finally said,/ 'All right, all right, Jake! You can sleep in our bed' ""). Unable to get a good night's sleep (one spread shows a contented Jake asleep with a foot planted in each parent's face), the trio decides to try out some alternative bedtime locations. Wright endows his digitally rendered family with bug-eyed expressions and exaggerated body parts-necks blend into faces and fingers are barely suggested-heightening the humor as they recline nervously on the roof of their house or wedge themselves into the bathtub. As the quick-paced verse and a variety of visual perspectives propel the story to its somewhat expected ending, eagle-eyed readers will appreciate the subtle humor tucked within the pages of this welcome addition to thebedtime bookshelf. Ages 3-8.