Good Night Engines

by Denise Dowling Mortensen, Melissa Iwai (Illustrator)

Overview

In this imaginative, inviting bedtime book, lyrical verse tells of various vehicles winding down for the night and "rolling off to bed." On alternate spreads, luminous paintings depict a little boy playing with toy engines in his bedroom as well as life-sized engines in the outside world. The soothing text and large, up-close pictures of trucks, planes, and fire engines, among others, will make this a favorite bedtime story of all toddlers and preschoolers who are fascinated with things that go.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547563039
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	10/20/2003
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	37 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Melissa Iwai  has illustrated many books for young children, as well as the nonfiction picture book Thirty Minutes Over Oregon. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her family. Visit her online at melissaiwai.com, on Twitter @meliwai, and on Instagram @melissaiwai1.



DENISE DOWLING MORTENSEN is also the author of the picture book Ohio Thunder. She lives in Chatham, New Jersey with her family.

Editorial Reviews

This little charmer is clearly intended for the vehicle-obsessed toddler. As a young boy plays with his cars, trucks, planes, and trains, the bedtime theme emerges with: "Sunset glowing in the west. / Engine slowing, / wheels at rest." In savory, rich colors, the most striking of which are the deep plums and cobalt blues, Iwai's illustrations are meticulous. The settings alternate from realistic, life scenes of, say, a plane landing on a runway (perhaps the boy's imaginative vision) with that of the boy holding the toy plane aloft. The little tyke's bedroom is a pleasant jumble of toys that make up the backdrop of his play with blocks, stuffed animals, jacks, and all manner of conveyance. Mortensen has written just enough text to engage the sleepy child while the soothing cadence will help ease the youngster into a contented slumber. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews

"a very simple...goodnight story for toddler truck-and-engine lovers...The unforced rhyme beautifully expresses both the rush...then the hush." Booklist, ALA

"little charmer...for the vehicle-obsessed toddler...savory, rich colors...striking...illustrations are meticulous...just enough text to engage...soothing cadence" KIRKUS REVIEWS Kirkus Reviews

"story is as smooth and easy as a familiar lullaby...acrylic, full-page spreads match the quiet text...sure to appeal." SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL School Library Journal

"playing to kids' perennial fascination with vehicles...the level of detail with suit preschoolers, as will the rhythms..velvety acrylics" PUBLISHERS WEEKLY Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher