50 Below Zero

I think this is a great book for young children because it had repetition, making the writing rhythmic, and the storyline was very silly. For example, every time Jason woke up, the book read, “He woke up! He heard a sound. He said, ‘What’s that? What’s that? What’s that!’” Then Jason would open the door to some room in his house and find his father sleeping in a funny place. The story also used descriptive words that appealed to the senses. When Jason brought his father inside the house, the author used “bump, bump, bump, bump”, “scritch, scritch, scritch, scritch” and “glug, glug, glug, glug” to describe how he went up the stairs, across the hall and into the bathtub. These words help the child to picture and show more hear what is going on in the story.
The message of this book is to solve your problems when they happen so that they do not repeat. Each time Jason found his father sleeping in a weird place he was too tired to do anything except wake him up. At the end of the book he decides to create a solution by tying his fathers big toe to the bedpost. He still heard a noise but his father fell asleep standing while attached to the bed. If Jason had done this earlier he would not have had to go outside when it was 50 below zero to find his father. Overall, I thought this book was cute and good for preschool children. show less

This story is very quirky. Its representation of the father sleepwalking around the house is funny but a good one for people who do have this trait. I can also see the negativity with how the son takes the responsibility upon himself to make sure his own father goes back to bed multiple times throughout the night. All while he is trying his best to sleep as well. Where we find out at the end the mom was home asleep all this time and did not get up once to check on her spouse once until the very end when the son found a solution to the situation.

50 Below Zero
By Robert Munsch (1992)

I liked 50 Below Zero by Robert Munsch for three reasons. First, I liked how Jason’s dad ends up in the most unlikely places while sleepwalking. For example, he ends up on the fridge, in the bathroom, on top of the car, and outside in the cold. The places his dad sleeps are unbelievable, yet humorous. The second thing I liked was Robert Munsch’s use of repetition. Specifically, he repeats the phrase, “Jason went to sleep: zzzzz---zzzzz---zzzzz---zzzzz. He woke up! He heard a sound. He said, “What’s that? What’s that? What’s that,” which emphasizes the severity of Jason’s dads sleepwalking; his dad is destructive. Finally, I liked that Jason was brave. Though most children would be show more afraid to answer to mysterious sounds at night, Jason woke up every time and discovered the sound. Overall, the “big idea” of 50 Below Zero is somewhat unclear, but I believe this book is exciting, and emphasizes the problems associated with sleepwalking. Although many view this habit as harmless, sleepwalking is dangerous and can lead to harsh consequences such as traveling outside in the cold. show less

I liked this book for a couple reasons. I liked how engaging the author made the book to the readers. The father in the story kept sleepwalking to new places which kept the reader engaged as wondering where Jason's father would end up next. The first place Jason finds his father is on top of the fridge, from there the reader is engaged and questions where Jason's father will end up next. I liked the suspense created within the story. At the end of the story Jason's mother is woken up from a startling noise. Jason tied his fathers toe so that he could no longer sleepwalk out of this house so suspense is created as to what caused that noise. It turns out to be Jason who apparently sleepwalks like his father but the author did a good job show more with creating suspense within the story. The main message in the story is there is a solution to every problem you may face. Jason creates a solution to his fathers sleepwalking by tying his fathers toe to his fathers bed so that he can no longer escape the house. show less

Adorable and funny story that is enjoyable to read time and time again. Children and adults will both find themselves wanting to turn the page. Well placed text and illustrations. This one is a keeper and should find its way into library shelves and teacher's desks. The idea is well thought out and presented perfectly for curious little minds. The illustrations are very well done.

This funny winter story is about a boy who's constantly woken in the night by the sounds of his father sleepwalking. When Dad takes a spin outside on a super cold night, the boy has to go to extremes to get his stiffly frozen body inside the house. Finally, our hero solves the problem by tying his father's big toe to his bed. But will that really end the sleepwalking for good?



(We make up silly motions for this one since there's lots of repetition. It's also found on Tumblebooks). This is a fun read for grades Kindergarten and up.

I found this book so humorous. The illustrations were funny and/or amazing. Nice coloring, and flowing story line. This is very easy to follow for an advanced first grader. Though the story is long and might give children with reading problems a challenge. Parents take the time to read this one with your kids, because you to might like the outcome. Don't freeze out there when It's 5o Below Zero.