Polly Dunbar

An appealing bedtime book, this sixth installment of Polly Dunbar's Tilly and Friends picture-book series - which details the playful activities of a young girl and her five animal friends - sees Tiptoe the rabbit exhibiting all the classic signs of a young one who is NOT ready to go to sleep. As Tilly helps her companions get ready for bed, tucking them in and reading them stories, she patiently deals with Tiptoe's wakeful objections. But who will put her to bed...?

Charming mixed-media show more illustrations, combined with a simple but playful text, make Good Night, Tiptoe an immensely appealing title for younger readers, who will identify with its hero's bedtime shenanigans. Dunbar, who has devoted a title to each of the six friends - Tilly the girl, Hector the pig, Pru the hen, Tumpty the elephant, Doodle the alligator, and Tiptoe the rabbit - appears to have come to the end of her series. I can't say these were particularly involving books for me, the adult reader, but I do think they make an admirable collection of tales for the youngest little listeners, and I did find the artwork quite lovely. I'll definitely keep an eye out for more titles illustrated by Polly Dunbar... show less

[b:Pierre: A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue|120715|Pierre A Cautionary Tale in Five Chapters and a Prologue|Maurice Sendak|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347744043l/120715._SX50_.jpg|116236], yes, thank you to the blurb writer for naming the classic that this reminded me of. Dunbar's book is retro, but in a good way. I think... it is odd... not sure if surreal is quite the word... but I like it a lot... though I am bemused.... I show more recommend it for anyone looking for something different. (Though you might want to approve it first if you have a timid child.) I'd love to read your opinion of it, and I will continue to explore the author's other works.

Second read - this time it almost reminded me of Cat in the Hat, wherein a large critter imposes himself on two unsupervised children and makes a mess of things. Whereas Seuss's feline had good intentions and put things right, this lion is something else....

Now, children's books are usually metaphorical. Is the lion a stand-in for another kind of predator? Is the point of the book to let children know that they can say "no" to those big persons who make them uncomfortable?

At this point I'm uncomfortable with the book and have lowered my star rating. My opinion. show less

Josh and his mom have a disconnect when she asks him to put his shoes on while he's lost in a daydream. All his imaginary characters and colors take up the page, so the reader can see what's going on in Josh's mind. The mom eventually loses her patience and yells, then apologizes, and off they go, trailed by Josh's imaginings.

The first of six picture-books in Polly Dunbar's Tilly and Friends series, Hello Tilly introduces six best friends - Tilly herself, Hector the pig, Pru the hen, Tumpty the elephant, Doodle the alligator, and Tiptoe the rabbit - who all live together in a yellow house. When Tiptoe interrupts Tilly's reading, an impromptu musical party ensues. Soon, the friends have tired themselves out, and want... a story!

With minimal text, and sweet illustrations that grab the eye, these books are ideally show more suited for the youngest reader-listeners. This first installment is really rather weak, with little in the way of an actual story, but I imagine that toddlers will still take to it, won over by the attractive visuals, and the many sound-words in the text. Fortunately, subsequent titles (like Happy Hector) offer a stronger narrative. show less