Time for Bed, Old House

“A heartfelt, affirming multigenerational narrative. . . . This touching, expertly paced bedtime tale will resonate with anyone who’s had a sleepover or experienced fright in a new place.” —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Isaac is excited about having a sleepover at Grandpop’s house, but he’s a little nervous about being away from home for the first time. Luckily, his knowing Grandpop tells him that it’s not quite time to go to bed yet—first, he needs Isaac’s help in putting the house to bed. Quietly and slowly, they move from room to room, turning out lights and pulling down shades, as Grandpop gently explains the nighttime sounds that Isaac finds unfamiliar. Then it’s time to read the house a bedtime story. By the time the house is settled in for the night, Isaac and Grandpop are ready for bed, too. Janet Costa Bates’s tender story and AG Ford’s cozy illustrations will have families—and extended families or friends—eager to take a wise Grandpop’s cue and embrace a new nighttime tradition.

Janet Costa Bates is the author of Seaside Dream, illustrated by Lambert Davis, which was named a Lee and Low’s New Voices Honor Book. She lives in Massachusetts, where she and her husband enjoy having their grandchildren visit for sleepovers.

A. G. Ford is a New York Times best-selling children’s book illustrator and recipient of two NAACP Image Awards. His previous picture books include Hello, I’m Johnny Cash by G. Neri, Goal! by Mina Javaherbin, and Desmond and the Very Mean Word by Archbishop Desmond Tutu and Douglas Abrams. A. G. Ford lives in Frisco, Texas.