Max's Bedtime

Max can't sleep because his red rubber elephant is missing. His older sister Ruby piles every stuffed animal she can find onto his bed. Max rolls off the pile and finds the elephant underneath. That is the whole book, and in Rosemary Wells's hands it is completely sufficient. The comedy is deadpan and the bunny expressions do most of the storytelling work, which means adults reading this aloud for the fifteenth time will still find something to enjoy. It is a one-joke premise — the synopsis says so plainly — but it is a good joke told with craft, and the format is sturdy enough for toddler handling. If you have a child who is attached to a specific comfort object, this one will land particularly well. A reliable board-book choice for the youngest end of the read-aloud audience.