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I Don't Want to Take a Nap Review by Deborah Wuehler

By Michael Ambrosio
Illustrated by Bob Langan
LionX Publishing
http://www.lionxpublishing.com/

I Don't Want to Take a Nap is the second in a series of books written by Michael Ambrosio and illustrated by Bob Langan. This 36-page hardcover book is vividly illustrated and tells the all-too-familiar tale of the exasperating bedtime ritual, but it finally ends in peaceful sleep.

Bobby the bear loves to play, but when winter arrives, he does not want to take that long winter nap. All Mama Bear wants is for Bobby to go to sleep so she can relax.

After being put to bed, Bobby comes out of his room several times asking for a story, needing a drink of water, getting tangled in his covers, and for other silly reasons. Each time, mom gives Bobby what he wants and reinforces his behavior with a kiss as she tucks him back into bed.

Finally, the exasperated mother gets Papa Bear to help. He "helps" by allowing Bobby to snuggle up with him in his favorite chair and fall asleep in his arms.

Although this tale is endearing, my children (who are not allowed to get out of bed and are required to obey the first time a command is given) were wondering why there were no consequences for Bobby's behavior and why Mama Bear kept giving Bobby what he wanted. I didn't have an answer, but I knew that Bobby's mother would not have been so exasperated if she had trained Bobby to go to bed and stay in bed.

In his first book (I Don't Want to be Lunch!) the author clearly showed the negative consequences of disobedience. If the same were true of this book, I would recommend it more readily. As it stands, however, I wouldn't recommend this book to parents who are teaching their children first-time obedience, since it would cause confusion as it did with my own children.

What I did appreciate about the book, however, was the author's dedication to his parents and his exhortation to fathers to "fully realize how incredibly powerful their presence at home really is." He also included a Scripture on the publication page: "He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and strike the land with a curse" (Malachi 4:6).

Reviewed by Deborah Wuehler, Devotional and eNewsletter Editor, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC, February 2007

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