Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite!

Reviewed by Christina Wantz Fixemer on 09/21/2008 Gilbert has his first overnight trip to camp. All his friends are going, as well as some kids that aren't as nice. Lewis keeps trying to scare Gilbert by telling him Camp Hi-Dee-Ho is haunted. Everyone knows there's no such thing as ghosts--or are there? Gilbert's experience is one that many children face when going to camp for the first--or fifth--time. The fear of the unknown may stem from the kind of teasing Gilbert gets from Lewis, or it may come from the imagination with no prompting. Either way, facing fears is something every child eventually endures. Diane deGroat handles this fairly well, although, as a mom, I question how Gilbert handles Lewis when the tables are turned. As long as parents remember the importance of reading with their children, they can address whether Gilbert does the right thing. For reference: Gilbert gets even with Lewis for scaring him. As always with this series, the illustrations are attractively done. Some "spooky" scenes in the middle can be revealed to children as not so scary (i.e.: that tree doesn't have faces, it has knots and broken-off branches). This book is a decent pick for children ready to go to camp, and it may also be well-suited to Halloween time.

Reviewed by Sophia McElroy (age 5.5) for Reader Views (7/08) This book is about Gilbert going to camp. I like all the animals; Gilbert is my favorite. I thought it was really funny when Gilbert and Lewis were in the bathroom and Lewis has his stuffed animal and he is hiding under the sink. It was easy to read and fun! I wasn't scared by the story, I thought it was good. I liked all the spooky sounds like when they say "Boo!" Parent Comment: The illustrations in this book are marvelous. The various animals drew Sophia into the story with the turn of every page. After she finished the book she wanted to know when she could go to camp too. There is even a nice little lesson at the end of "Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let the Bedbugs Bite!" by Diane deGroat.

Gilbert is a fuzzy critter- -perhaps a possum. One summer, his parents send him off to an overnight at camp. Gilbert is very excited about playing with the big kids at camp, but the big kids tell a ghost story around the campfire, which makes Gilbert very scared. Younger kids may find the book a little scary, but 4 to 6 year olds may find it quite engaging. The book has about 850 words.

Written and illustrated by Diane deGroat, Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bedbugs Bite! is a lovely story about young raccoon, skunk, and porcupine children going to sleep-away camp for the first time. With the important moral message that it's okay to be afraid of the dark, yet the power to be brave lies within us all, Good Night, Sleep Tight, Don't Let The Bedbugs Bite! is an excellent and recommended picturebook to prepare young children for the rigors of spending days and nights away from home.