Five on the Bed

by Addie Boswell

Overview

A charming counting book filled with artful papercut illustrations for the whole family to read before bed.

How many are on the bed? How many are below? Five on the Bed counts to five with young readers as they follow the clever yet simple story of a family getting ready for bed. Colorfully illustrated in papercut art, this book teaches simple concepts in a fun and engaging way.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781513264288
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	10/13/2020
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.00(w) x 9.00(h) x (d)
Lexile:	AD100L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 6 Years

About the Author

Addie Boswell is a children’s book author and illustrator, as well as professional muralist and teacher. She believes creativity can empower and improve lives of every age, and for that reason likes to focus on making art and books for the family and the community. Addie currently lives in Portland, Oregon.

Reading Group Guide

Five on the Bed by Addie Boswell

1: Title page
2-3: There is ONE on the bed. (illustration: Cat sleeping on bed)
4-5: ONE on the bed and ONE below the bed. (illustration: zoom out — dog under bed)
6-7: Now there are TWO. (illustration: Dad reading a book, petting cat)
8-9: TWO on the bed and TWO below the bed. (illustration: cat & Dad on bed, dog & girl under bed)
10-11: FOUR on the bed! (illustration: Girl climbs up holding dog)
12-13: Uh-oh. ONE… (illustration: dog barks at cat, cat jumps off)
14-15: TWO… THREE off the bed! (illustration: dog jumps off chasing cat, dad chases after pets)
16-17: And ONE above the bed. (illustration: girl jumping, gleeful)
18-19: (illustration only: Mom&Dad chase girl off bed. Dog chases cat. Bed’s mess!)
20-21: Now there are NONE on the bed. (illustration: Mom and Dad looking around bed for daughter. Holding bedtime books. Mysterious lump under covers. Girl could be peeking out a bit so careful readers can see her.)
22-23: NONE? (illustration: Parents find girl, Dad pulls blanket off, Mom tickles her.)
24-25: Hooray! There are THREE on the bed. (illustration: girl reading book with parents)
26-27: THREE on the bed ONE below the bed and ONE beside the bed. (illustration: Mom shuts light off, family snuggles together. Dog under bed, cat in window.)
28-29: FOUR on the bed. (illustration: humans asleep, dog curls up on bed. Cat is standing in the window, stretching.)
30-31: FIVE ON THE—Shhhh! (illustration: Cat is curled up on bed, glaring at reader for being so loud.)
32: Five on the bed fast asleep. (illustration: everyone is in new funny sleeping positions. Image is between these two lines.)

Interviews

"This story is completely seeded in my family. After my husband and I adopted two cats, we used to shout-whisper 'Four on the Bed!' every time we could get them happily curled up with us. (My vision of domestic bliss, if you add some tea and a book or newspaper.) When my daughter was born, we played musical beds for a few years, as most parents do. Now that she's six, we are all sleeping well enough for 'Five on the Bed!' moments, more delightful for the rarity of it all."

Editorial Reviews

"Teaches simple concepts in a fun and engaging way. Ideal for bedtime or anytime. . . Thoroughly fun and unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 3-6."

Children’s Bookwatch

"Teaches simple concepts in a fun and engaging way. Ideal for bedtime or anytime. . . Thoroughly fun and unreservedly recommended for family, daycare center, preschool, elementary school, and community library picture book collections for children ages 3-6."

Children’s Bookwatch

10/01/2020

K-Gr 2—This warm and playful story about a family getting ready for bed is also a counting book. The three family members and two pets are counted on and off the bed, and also under and over it. Throughout the book, the mom, dad, and daughter are all shown being cozy and affectionate to one another and to their pets. The parents, an interracial couple, smile at their daughter while she hides in the covers. They snuggle with the girl while reading together at bedtime; the dad, with dark brown skin, is shown calmly petting the cat, and the girl, a lighter brown but with her pale mother's black straight hair, is seen rubbing the dog's belly under the bed. At the end, after some back-and-forth, all five family members are piled up together on the bed and happily asleep. There isn't much text, and the story is told primarily through the appealing illustrations. Boswell creatively uses cut paper to create a textured, 3D look on each page. Rich colors including dark blue and maroon contrast sharply with white sheets on the bed, creating bold images. VERDICT The vivid cut-paper illustrations bring to life this amusing bedtime story, ideal for one-on-one reading at nighttime.—Melanie Kletter, School Library Journal

School Library Journal

2020-09-01
A counting book follows a family’s interactions on their shared bed.

At first, there is only one on the bed, the sleeping cat. Then there is one, the dog, below the bed as well. The text continues to count how many are on and below the bed as parents and a child join in. The child lifts the dog up, causing cat, then dog, then parent to leave the bed; the child begins to jump above the bed. Then suddenly, there are none on the bed, just a messy pile of sheets and blankets—maybe. As the family gets ready to sleep, one by one, they get on the bed until there are five on the bed. This is a fun, playful counting book. The text emphasizes the numbers by printing them in all capitals, contrasting colors, and larger font. With its many prepositions, this is a great way to introduce spatial relationships and positions, such as on, above, below. The impressively intricate collaged cut-paper art adds texture and depth with a slight 3-D effect. The artwork beautifully captures all of the messy, silly, and joyful family interactions. The father has medium-brown skin and is bald, the mother has pale skin and straight, black hair, and the child has light-brown skin and straight, black hair.

A delightful counting book to read aloud, especially at bedtime. (Picture book. 2-5)

Kirkus Reviews