Member Reviews
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.
A cute imaginative bedtime story of kids asking “what if” to avoid bedtime. The illustrations are colorful and dreamy and the dragon and cats are adorable.
We really loved the pictures in this book but the story was too far-fetched for my preschoolers to understand. I'm not sure what older kids would think but not our cup of tea.
A gorgeous children’s book. The illustrations are vibrantly coloured, a beautiful balance to each spread of pages, and engaging for little ones as they might notice something new on pages through many reads! However there isn’t much of a narrative here. Which is totally okay, a kids book can be about just promoting creativity, fun and imagination. The concern I’d have is because the word ‘bedtime’ is used in the title that most would be expecting a bedtime style narrative that maybe ends quietly, is for a certain length, and intonation/rhyming. That is not the case here.
There’s still lots of room in a child (and parents) life for a book like this; you just aren’t as likely to read it at bedtime as so many others.
Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.
Extremely sweet and enjoyable read for littles and adults alike. The whimsical story and vibrant illustrations definitely appeal to both creativity and imagination. The sibling and family dynamic was also a strong theme here and offered up an extra layer to this story. Highly recommend.
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This book was wordier than my toddler preferred to get her to sit through it often or more than once. But we all adored the illustrations and the imaginations of the kids in the book.
I really enjoyed this book. It was different than anything else I've read recently. I couldn't put it down! I will keep an eye out for this author's future work!
I received a complimentary copy of this book via Netgalley. Opinions expressed in this review are my own
Cute book that encourages imaginative play. I enjoy the bright colors and the fun conversations it will encourage.
Loved this book, and so did my kids! The illustrations were lovely, and it was a beautiful work of imagination! I'll definitely add this one to our collection- a great read for curious little minds!
A very fun [and fantastically illustrated] book about uninhibited play and using and stretching one's imagination and thought-process every single day, and how that can be [and bring] so much fun and also bring so much joy!
Little ones will have so much fun with this colorful book, looking for all the things within the background and imagining themselves within the story.
Just fantastic!!
Thank you to NetGalley, Francine Cunningham, Matthias Ball - Illustrator, and Annick Press Ltd for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
super cute kids book- the illustrations are GORGEOUS. great vocabulary and very adventurous, creates a sense of wanderlust. Really enjoyed it!
I liked the illustrations more than the story in this book. I thought it would be a book about avoiding bedtime, but it was more about all of the different questions that children ask.
This book looked really cute so I wanted to grab it for my daughter. I had no idea how magical it was going to be. The illustrations are gorgeous and make you believe in the make believe. Her favourite part is the space cats lol. She even told me to take a picture and send it to her grandma because she would like it. We loved it. We would recommend this to everyone.
Thanks you so much to Netgalley and Annick Press for the complimentary copy.
What If Bedtime Didn’t Exist was such a cute and colorful story of what if adventures! There were so many things for my kids to find in the illustrations throughout the pages. My son was asking for bedtime not to exist by the end of the book and creating his own what if scenarios. This was a fun family read that helped stir the imagination of my kids. Would recommend this book to others with littles! Thank you to NetGalley for the e-ARC read.
What if Bedtime Didn’t Exist? is a sweet children’s book about the magic found in imagination. The art is lovely and colorful, and the story is easy to follow. I think kids, and those who might have to read this book multiple times for those kids, will enjoy finding new parts of each image to enjoy.
This book is STUNNING from start to finish!
I love a story about imagination that gives kids a jumping off point to let their imaginations run free and this one did that perfectly, using normal day to day activities as a jumping off point for fun creative thought experiments. This would be a perfect book to read aloud without the pictures and let kids imagine their own scenarios for the text because the writing is so picturesque and dynamic.
But on the other hand, these illustrations are not ones you would want to miss - the art is absolutely gorgeous! It conveys that idea of possibility that matches with the idea of the story so well and is so visually interesting without being overwhelming. There are spreads that could honestly just be art prints, they are that beautiful.
I will absolutely be recommending this to everyone - I think it would be the perfect addition to any older picture book reader’s library!
This book’s premise is sweet and refreshing. As someone who reads tons of children’s books I found this helpful in teaching my child about what imagination is.
The concept of pretend is a difficult one for a child who is still learning what the real world is. This books writing along with illustration evokes that world of pretend in an abstract and fun way!
I loved the exploration of different scenarios that all started with “what if?” Because what exciting words those can be! I think this book is great for 3+ but I read to my 2 year old. I see it as a book that can grow with him. :)
The art was exciting while not being overly busy which I appreciate as a mom!
I loved this book, it's art style and message was adorable and so sweet - and reading it myself - then reading it to my niece made it an INSTANT hit. The illuminate and cute artwork really drives home a child's imagination, vivid and pure and adorable. I really loved it, and I'd say this is a perfect book for classrooms AND parents!
My family and I LOVED this cute book! This book dives into a child’s imagination and my kiddos absolutely adored this book. They loved the illustrations too! This is a book they haven’t stopped talking about, they can’t wait to get their hands on a physical copy!
Love, love this book! Such a wonderful dive into imagination that children will truly enjoy. It would lend itself to some creative discussion and writing in the classroom! The illustrations are so bright and beautiful, truly bringing the words of the book to life!