William's Winter Nap

A boy has trouble settling down to sleep when a series of animals come knocking on his door in this ideal read-aloud for a cold winter night.

Just when William is ready to fall asleep in his cozy cabin, there is a tap on his window. A chilly chipmunk asks to stay, and Will scooches over in bed. "There's room for two -- I'm sure we'll fit." The chipmunk is just the first in a parade of mammals, each bigger than the last, until the bed is full. Then a note is slipped beneath the door: "Do you have room for just one more?" William tugs the door to see who's there . . . only to find a great big BEAR! Is there enough space to spare? Will the other animals be willing to share?

Kids will delight at each new guest's arrival and enjoy counting along as the animals keep scooching over to fit in William's bed. Linda Ashman's clever rhymes set up each page turn with suspense and humor, and the expressions on Chuck Groenink's characters are perfect. This is must reading for the dark time of year when everyone wants to hibernate!

Linda Ashman is the author of William's Winter Nap, a companion to William Wakes Up. Her more than thirty picture books have earned numerous honors and starred reviews, and have been included in the "Best of the Year" lists in the New York Times; Parenting, Child, and Cookie magazines; Bank Street College of Education; and the New York Public Library. She has taught a variety of workshops on writing for children and is the author of The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, a "how to" handbook. Linda lives with her family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Visit her online at www.lindaashman.com.

Chuck Groenink (www.chuckgroenink.com) hails from an overgrown village among the peat bogs in the north of the Netherlands, where he spent his formative years climbing trees, drawing, reading, and cycling. He attended the Artez Institute of Visual Arts in Kampen, graduating from the department of illustration in 2004. He lives in Hudson, New York with his wife and two cats.