Ira Sleeps Over

Excited at the prospect of his very first sleepover, at the home of his best friend Reggie, Ira is brought up short when his older sister asks whether he will be bringing Tah Tah - his beloved teddy bear - along. Convinced by her sly questioning, and outright hints, that Reggie will think he is a baby for doing any such a thing, Ira leaves Tah Tah at home, only to make a surprising discovery during the course of a bedtime ghost-story recitation.

Waber has his finger on the pre-school pulse here, perfectly capturing the embarrassment a young boy might feel, at his attachment to his teddy bear, as well as the taunting to which siblings often subject one another. The illustrations have a distinctive vintage sensibility, with that "hastily show more sketched" feeling (I'm sure they were anything but) - all black outlines, filled in with color - that I associate with the 1970s. Ira Sleeps Over is definitely a classic for this age group, and one I'm glad to have read! Now I need to find some of Waber's Lyle books... show less

The book Ira Sleeps Over, Ira struggles with whether or not he should bring his teddy bear to the sleep over with him. Throughout the book, Ira’s parents tell him that it is ok to bring the teddy bear to the sleep over while his sister tells him people will laugh and think it is stupid. I really enjoyed reading this book and found it to be very relatable, especially for young kids. Almost every kid has some sort of security item whether it be a blanket or a stuffed animal. As kids get older, they start to wonder if it is acceptable to still have their security item with them. This book shows that it is ok to have that extra special teddy bear or blanket and its extremely possible your friend has one too. I remember when I was younger show more I was embarrassed to bring my own stuffed animal to sleep overs because I was afraid my friends would make fun of me. Eventually I realized that if they were my real friends, they would not care and would accept the fact that I still had a stuffed animal.
This book was also very easy to read and the story plot was easy to follow. This makes the book appealing to young audiences. The illustrations added to the story and helped you to get a better mental picture about what they story was about. Overall, I really appreciated this book and thought that it delivered an important message of embracing who you are. show less

Ira Sleeps Over by Bernard Waber is a timeless children’s story that beautifully captures the emotions and worries of childhood. The book follows Ira, who is excited to spend the night at his friend Reggie’s house, until he starts worrying about whether he should bring his beloved teddy bear along. I love the way the book reassures young readers that it’s okay to be yourself and that true friends will accept you just the way you are. It was one of my childhood favorites!

I really love this one....everything from the nostalgic illustrative styling, to the very realistic storyline make this an enjoyable read. The excitement and pressures surrounding first sleepovers, plushie sleeping companions, and sibling rivalry is spot on.

This book is such a classic, I can’t even. The drawings are great, the humor is witty, and anyone with kids, who knows kids, or ever slept with a stuffed animal themselves will relate to and enjoy “Ira Sleeps Over”. Waber captures the child’s mind and thought process perfectly. One of my fave kids’ books!

I liked the story “Ira Sleeps Over” by Bernard Waber for many reasons including the characters, the plot, and the thought provoking content. In the story the main character Ira is excited about attending a sleepover with his best friend Reggie until his sister asks him “are you taking you teddy bear along”? The characters are very realistic in that they go through the emotions and actions that typical children in that age group experience. Ira represents a self conscious little boy who is worried about how his friend Reggie with view him if he brings his teddy bear to a sleepover. Reggie represents the perceived cool kid that others long to impress. Ira fears that he will be ridiculed and teased by Reggie, which influences him show more to decide to “not take his teddy bear” even though he had never slept without his teddy bear before. The story also touches on masculinity. Ira’s sister alludes to the fact that if Ira has a teddy bear be will be teased because a little boy bringing a teddy bear is somehow viewed as unacceptable and something to be ashamed of, however Ira uncovers that that having a teddy bear does not affect ones perceived coolness. The overall meaning of this story is to never hide who you are for the approval of someone else. What makes someone cool is their ability to embrace who they are and all the quirks that come with it regardless of the opinions of others. show less

SUCH A CUTE BOOK! So glad I took the reccomendation and read this book, it was precious. Ira is afraid to go to his first sleep over because hes he will get made fun of for bringing his security item; a teddy bear. His anxiety is relieved when he realizes his friend also has a teddy bear with a "silly baby name" that he sleeps with at night too. This is a great book for students who are struggling to feel like they fit in or students who suffer with anxiety similar to Ira's.