Hello, friends! Our book today is Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Say Good Night, written by Lauren H. Kerstein, and illustrated by Nate Wragg, second in the duo’s series featuring the titular pair.
Charlie and his pet dragon Rosie are back, and ready for bedtime. Well, Charlie’s ready; Rosie would like a few extra minutes, please? In fact, mischievous Rosie seems determined to bend or break the rules at every turn of Charlie’s well-organized bedtime routine for her: she tries to sneak juice into her water bottle, overdoes it with the bath bubbles, and picks out footie pajamas for her and her beloved toy horse, Vern (despite Charlie’s attempts to explain that she will overheat… which she does). And just when Charlie thinks Rosie is down for the count, a scary thunderstorm starts up…
Very cute. The delightful dynamic of the particular and rambunctious Rosie, who causes the majority of the bedtime-related snafus, and the ever-patient and caring Charlie is absolutely charming, and paired nicely with the conversational dialogue and colorful, entertaining illustrations. Little readers will sympathize with Charlie’s attempts to usher Rosie through her routine – and in turn, may sympathize with their parents doing the same for them. But perhaps the most unexpectedly heartwarming quality of the book was how much JJ ADORED it; she has asked for several repeat readings, a rarity. Whether intentionally or not, Rosie displays characteristics of someone with ASD; she is nonverbal, requires very specific routines and comfort items, and is distressed by sensory overload (a too-hot set of pjs, a thunderstorm, etc). Yet Charlie treats her proclivities and preferences with patience and kindness, never losing his temper or scolding his scaly friend. It makes for a surprisingly rich and, at least from our perspective, layered tale of caring for friends who may be different needs. Great length, lovely book, and definitely Baby Bookworm approved!
(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by a representative of the author in exchange for an honest review.)
The Baby Bookworm 