A Bear Hug at Bedtime

Jana Novotny-Hunter's picture book delivers its warmth through a clever visual reveal: the tigers and bears and lobsters sharing a child's bedtime are, through the magic of a child's imagination, the extended family members who love them. Kay Widdowson's illustrations carry the payoff of that device beautifully. Published by Child's Play in 2017, the book is designed as an ideal shared bedtime read and it functions well in that role — cozy, loving, and imaginatively playful. Families with traditional definitions of family should know the book intentionally depicts a diverse and inclusive range of family configurations as part of its central message, which is the deliberate point rather than incidental background. Beyond the core concept, the text is very simple and does not offer much literary depth. As a bedtime ritual book celebrating the people who love a child, it is charming.