Five on the Bed

"The artwork beautifully captures all of the messy, silly, and joyful family interactions. . . A delightful counting book to read aloud, especially at bedtime." * Kirkus Reviews *
"This warm and playful story about a family getting ready for bed is also a counting book. The three family members and two pets are counted on and off the bed, and also under and over it. Throughout the book, the mom, dad, and daughter are all shown being cozy and affectionate to one another and to their pets. The parents, an interracial couple, smile at their daughter while she hides in the covers. They snuggle with the girl while reading together at bedtime; the dad, with dark brown skin, is shown calmly petting the cat, and the girl, a lighter brown but with her pale mother’s black straight hair, is seen rubbing the dog’s belly under the bed. At the end, after some back-and-forth, all five family members are piled up together on the bed and happily asleep. There isn’t much text, and the story is told primarily through the appealing illustrations. Boswell creatively uses cut paper to create a textured, 3D look on each page. Rich colors including dark blue and maroon contrast sharply with white sheets on the bed, creating bold images. VERDICT The vivid cut-paper illustrations bring to life this amusing bedtime story, ideal for one-on-one reading at nighttime." * School Library Journal *
"Teaches simple concepts in a fun and engaging way. Ideal for bedtime or anytime. . . Thoroughly fun and unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 3-6." * Children’s Bookwatch *