Dear Peggy Rathmann,

10 Minutes till Bedtime10 Minutes till Bedtime – Peggy Rathmann

It’s ten minutes until bedtime, and one little boy’s pet hamster leads an ever-growing group of other hamsters on a tour of the house.  The boy’s oblivious father counts down the minutes from behind his newspaper as hamsters trash the kitchen, take a bath, put on pajamas, read a story, and get into bed–until they’re finally sent home by the sleepy little boy.

Not only is 10 Minutes till Bedtime one of the cutest books I’ve ever read, but it’s also got SO many funny little visual jokes that every page is like a fantastic seek-and-find.  It’s also nearly wordless, with just the countdown of minutes and the tiny adorable exclamations of one talkative little hamster, allowing the reader to enjoy your fantastic art all the more intently.  I couldn’t get enough of the hamsters, especially the little one who talks all the time, and the one who is sort of the hamster version of the little boy, mimicking everything he does as he readies for bed.  The whole thing was just…indescribably whimsical, and made me want to go to a pet store and snuggle all the hamsters and dress them in little striped pajamas.  OMG, SQUEE!  Five stars!!

Love,

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