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

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!

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 enjoyed this book for a few reasons. First, I think it is very easy for the audience to relate to. It is very common for children to sleep with a stuffed animal, and maybe be a little bit embarrassed about it. Another reason I enjoyed this story was because of the illustrations. Specifically on the page where Ira and Reggie are playing with stamps... the entire page is covered with stamps. The main idea of this story is to not worry about what others think of you. Ira allowed his sister to convince him that Reggie would judge him for sleeping with a teddy bear, when in fact Reggie slept with a teddy bear as well. Reggie was not worried at all what Ira would think of him sleeping with a teddy bear. I think it's a great book to read show more with young children that have older siblings that sometimes can give them misleading messages. show less

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.

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

This little story would be good for any child who is planning on sleeping over (or just in general). It shows that we are all the same, in some ways...and to not be so worried about what others think. It is surprisingly engaging, and by the end you're really wishing the boy had brought his bear! But the ending is nice, and peaceful, and everyone goes to sleep happy (with their bear).