Chester Chipmunk Will Not Sleep
by Kathleen George
illustrated by Louisa Mae
Date: 2020
Publisher: Belle Isle Books
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley
It's bedtime in the nook of Cherry Hill, but Chester Chipmunk just can't sleep! He's had too much fun playing today, and he isn't ready to stop now. So Mama Chipmunk tells him a whimsical tale of all the journeys he can go on in his dreams. This book will help the littles ones who are feeling restless get excited to take a nap or go to bed so they can discover all the many adventures that await in their dreams!
(synopsis from Goodreads)
Chester Chipmunk Will Not Sleep is a picture book aimed at kids that seems subtly manipulative.
Chester doesn't want go to to bed because there are so many things he wants to do, like play a kazoo and build a rocket big enough for a moose. His mother gets him to go to bed by promising him all sorts of even better adventures in his dreams.
While the overall idea is sweet, I can't help but feel that it's a little manipulative. What happens when a kid doesn't experience fantastic dreams about mermaids, juggling hippos, and moonbeams that can be ridden like a bike? Or, worse... what if they have nightmares? The trick that Chester's mom uses on him is liable to only work once. Perhaps, instead of bribing her child with promises of dreams that are unlikely to happen, she should employ some better time management to ensure that Chester gets to do more of the things he wants to do during the day (or, to make it even more simple, teach him some patience by letting him know that he can do his kazoo playing and rocket building tomorrow).
The illustrations are probably my favourite part of this, even if I don't love the story. They're whimsical, charming, and positively luminous in places. The cover illustration doesn't really do the book justice; the interior pictures are far more magical.
Overall, this was just average for me. I'm not a fan of the story, but I'd gladly go back and peruse the illustrations again.
Thank you to NetGalley and Belle Isle Books for providing a digital ARC.
Premise: 3/5
Meter: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 4/5
Originality: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Overall: 3.14 out of 5
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