Hello, everyone! Today, we read Twenty Yawns, written by Jane Smiley and illustrated by Lauren Castillo. This is a sweet bedtime story about the sometimes-spooky time right before bed.

Lucy and her parents spend all day playing at the beach, and when they all get home, they’re all very tired. Lucy’s mom begins to read her a bedtime story, but falls asleep before it’s through. Lucy is left alone in the silvery time of early night, and feels a bit spooked. She goes to find her teddy bear, Molasses, and after finding her father asleep as well, sees that all her stuffed animal friends are feeling a bit lonely and unnerved as well. As she takes care of them, she finds the courage and comfort she needs by snuggling into bed with all her plushies until everyone is yawning and drifting off to sleep.

This was a cute book with a gentle sort of magic to it. It’s definitely a time of night that most remember from childhood: when everyone was asleep but you. The illustrations are adorable, and the titular twenty yawns are sprinkled throughout the book so that readers can find and count them. The length is fine for baby bookworms, and we enjoyed it. Baby Bookworm approved!