Bedtime, Everybody!

Mordicai Gerstein's 1996 picture book captures bedtime chaos from the inside: Daisy's stuffed companions — Bunny, Mouse, Duck, Bear, and Pig — all have perfectly logical reasons they can't possibly sleep yet. Bunny needs to finish planting. Duck wants a picnic. Bear requires teeth-brushing and water. The familiar comedy is grounded in real toddler-adjacent logic, and Gerstein's bold oil and pen-and-ink illustrations give it visual energy. A small rescue drama — Mouse falls under the bed — adds gentle stakes before Mouse tells a story and Daisy finally drifts off. Kirkus called it 'an amiable bedtime tale,' which is accurate if modest praise. Light on plot complexity, but the humor and cozy resolution make it a reliable choice for the bedtime shelf for children ages two to six.