Own Big Anna Grossnickle Hines
The independent little girl in this snug story loves her brand new huge bed but . . . What if I fall out? What if I get lonely? What if I get lost? What if I get scared? Just right for young children making the transition from crib to bed, and featuring Mary Watson’s comforting and realistic paintings, My Own Big Bed celebrates self-reliance, eases fears, and — with a tuck and a kiss from Mommy and Daddy — promises a safe and snug night’s sleep.
From Publishers WeeklyHines (When We Married Gary) faultlessly portrays the ambivalence of a toddler when she moves from her crib to a huge bed. A new huge bed of her own is both stimulating and scary for this girl narrator, but in confronting her fears, she likewise discovers inner reserves of self-reliance: “I may get in, and I may get out?in and out all by myself. What if I fall out? I may fix that.” Watson (The Market Lady and the Mango Tree) shows the girl’s resourceful solution: her teddy bear and stuffed alligator lounge comfortably atop a raft of pillows surrounding the bed, and demonstrate that any accidental fall will be amply cushioned. As the protagonist tries out her newfound space?”I may stretch and stretch and not touch anything, not anything”?she wonders, “What if I get lonely?” So she assembles a collection of likeable dolls and plush animals to keep herself company. And in the final spreads, Daddy and Mommy come, not to assuage her fears, all of which she’s handily put to rest, but to read a bedtime story and deliver goodnight kisses. This rite of passage is astutely and economically observed, without lapsing into preachiness or preciousness. Watson’s combining of neatly framed vignettes and full-bleed spreads makes skillful use of painterly realism. The brown-eyed, blonde-haired heroine is engaging and playful, and will likely inspire other toddlers to follow her example. Ages 4-up.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From School Library JournalPreSchool-A little girl explores the difficulties and joys of her introductory big-girl bed. For each fear, “What if I fall out?” “What if I get lonely?” she has a solution: pillows around the bed and a pile of toys next to her. On the plus side, she may stretch her arms out as wide as they will go and make tunnels underneath the covers and room for her father to sit as he reads to her. After the story and a kiss from her mother, she is snug and safe. The simple text is from a young child’s point of view and the realistic watercolors are saved from being too sweet by the shifting expression on the chubby blond preschooler’s face and by her squirming, twisting poses as she investigates the possiblenesses of her new bed. Warm and reassuring, this book will strike a chord with any young child adjusting to the firstborn steps out of babyhood.
Karen James, Louisville Free Public Library, KY
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From BooklistAges 2^-5. A little girl in pink-and-purple floral pajamas gets ready to go to sleep in her brand-new big bed for the primary time. She coyly smiles and boasts, “I may get in, and I may get out–in and out all by myself.” Any fears of falling out, getting lonely, or getting lost under the covers are speedily dismissed. She may grab her little blanket, gather her stuffed animals, and jump back into bed. Best of all, Mommy and Daddy may sit down right next to her, read her a story, and kiss her good-night. Watson’s opaque watercolor illustrations recompense particular attention to the child’s expressive face. Blue-bordered pictures set versus pale yellow backgrounds and double-spread illustrations combine to add a altering sense of perspective that matches the rhythm of the words and the action of the story. Ideal for bedtime and lapsits; even the youngest prereader will point along and chime in to the soothing, ascertaining story. Karen Simonetti
Own Big Anna Grossnickle Hines Pic
Own Big Anna Grossnickle Hines Photo
Own Big Anna Grossnickle Hines Pic
Own Big Anna Grossnickle Hines Pic
Most helpful client reviews
21 of 22 humans found the following review helpful.
 Makes the transition from crib to bed a piece of cake!
By A
We purchased this book for our daughter with regards to a month before we were going to move her from her crib to her new “big girl bed”. We’ve heard horror stories from other parents who experienced some sleepless nights when they tried to put their child in a regular bed. After reading her this book for when it comes to a month, we at long last put her new bed in her room and it was a success! She slept the whole night and the night after that and so on! She never climbed out of her crib but we wanted to move her to a huge bed (not a toddler bed) before she became too attached to her crib. She’ll be 2 in a few days. Buy this book–it’s GREAT!!! Good Luck!
13 of 15 humans found the following review helpful.
Great for transitioning the Tot out of the crib
By A
This book was given to my two year old daughter to transition her out of her crib. It did incisively that. She was very mesmerized in sleeping in her huge bed after reading this book.
6 of 6 humans found the following review helpful.
No Better For Big Bed Transitioning!
By M. Tally
I also purchased an Elmo big bed book, and a Barney huge bed book because these were characters my daughter knows…to my surprise, when choosing a book to read at night, she ALWAYS picked up this book. We practiced the things that the little girl in the book does together (i.e. in a big bed you may stretch your arms out wide with no bars to get in the way), and when it came time for the huge bed, my daughter jumped in and stretched out her arms. (Although the other two are good too), She seemed to comprehend more what this book was attempting to explain than the other two. In addition to talking regarding how fun a big girl bed was going to be, we read this book for a week before going to a huge bed. Our huge bed transition went with no problems or difficulties and without a hitch!!!
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