Global Baby Bedtimes

*The universality of the most basic human need—sleep—is touchingly illustrated with ahh-inspiring photos.
Each page shows a sleeping infant embraced protectively by a loving parent, nestled in a crib, or held close in a fabric carrier. The country of origin is noted in text curved around each sleeping child’s head. Love and care are constant across cultures. The photo from Guatemala, of a little girl asleep amid bananas in a market, mildly hints at the poverty of the region, but even in this instance the baby looks clean, content, and cared for. Several of the children are dressed in colorful, culturally specific clothing—the Chinese baby wears a Mongolian-style hat, blue batik wraps the baby from Panama, and the infant from the Ivory Coast is wrapped in orange, red, and black fabric. Still, the differences are subtle. In reality, these babies could be seen in any American city. Readers are left with the impression that all these babies are part of one human family, although, appropriately, this is never stated directly. The one simple sentence of text starts out, “Babies everywhere / go to sleep,” and ends with the worldwide wish, “Sweet dreams!”

Sweet, tender, and positive; perfect for sharing with the newest world citizens.
–Kirkus Reviews, starred review


As any parent can attest, infants are fascinated by certain kinds of objects and patterns—but nothing holds their gaze as much as the human face. In a series of lovingly photographed images, babies from around the world are shown, napping, yawning, and deeply slumbering. Sing a soft lullaby while turning these pages to encourage sweet dreams.
–School Library Journal


The fifth board book in the irresistible Global Babies series features exceptionally clear, colorful photos of infants who are yawning, nodding off, or sound asleep. A single line of text threads its way through the book, drawing the pictures together and providing a sense of continuity. For curious adults and older children, the baby’s country is identified on each page. Occasionally a parent, caregiver, or sibling appears in the frame, but the baby is always at the center of things and often the face is shown in close-up. Captivating and soporific, this is a fine bedtime book for little ones and their sleep-deprived parents.
-Booklist