BOUNCING ON THE BED - Orchard, Illustrated by Anna Grossnickle Hines

A rhythmic romp just right for every child who loves to splash, run, roll —and bounce!

School Library Journal - April 1999

PreS--An energetic preschooler bounces, slides, wiggles, runs, dances, hides, cooks, sings, and reads through the day--- and finally snuggles in bed with a hug and kiss from his parents. Lively sun-drenched watercolor paintings on double-page spreads show an inviting summertime world. The outdoor scenes are filled with grass and flowers as the round-faced, blue-eyed child and his shaggy-haired dog splash through a brook and roll down a hill. The indoor scenes are more peaceful and cozy. Each phase of the day --- waking, eating, playtime, bathing --- is described in a short rhyme that uses the same verse form as "The Farmer in the Dell." "Bouncing on the bed,/I'm bouncing on the bed./The sun is up,/The day is new./I'm bouncing on the bed." (The text could be sung to the same tune, too.) With the large pictures and the familiar activities described, this book would be a good selection for toddler time, and the infectious rhythm of the verse will invite participation from pre-school storytime participants.---Marian Drabkin, Richmond Public Library, CA

Booklist - February 1999

Ages 1--4. With simple words and clear, light-filled watercolors, this picture book features a toddler who acts out an idyllic day, from bouncing on the bed at sunup to snuggling down at bedtime, "happy to be me." Each double-page spread shows a joyful activity --- sliding down the stairs, wiggling, running, rolling, splashing, dancing, hiding, playing, singing. Sometimes Mom and Dad are there: cooking (She stirs the pot. I lick the spoon.") reading (("He says the words. I turn the page.") and a small dog is in every picture ("I throw a stick. He fetches it.") The sounds of the words with repetition and occasional rhyme are part of the sense ("Thump, thump, thumpety") and, like Zita Newcome's Toddlerobics (1996), this will have young preschoolers joining in the playful movements and chanting along. ---Hazel Rochman

Why I wrote Bouncing on the Bed.

Two years ago, my brother and his wife announced that they were expecting their first baby. We hadn't had any babies in the family in quite a few years, (mine are all grown) so I got very excited thinking about having a young child in the family again. I thought about how busy and filled with activity a young child's day is, and I decided to write a book for my new niece or nephew that would refect a full day of toddler-type fun. Bouncing on the Bed is the result and I think it's a great book for moms and dads to share with their busy toddlers. It's full of familiar sights, sounds, and activities - following a toddler from dawn to dusk. It's a fun book to move to as well - great for getting the "wiggles" out of a story hour crowd! By the way, my brother's baby turned out to be a little boy named Noah, and Noah is now a busy toddler himself. I was quite astonished when I saw the illustrations that Anna Grossnickle Hines did for the book, because even though she's never seen Noah, she drew a little boy that looks enough like him to be his twin!

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