PreS-Gr 1--It's sleepover time for a young boy and his best friend, Noodles, and as with any good slumber party, their plans don't involve much sleep. The fun ends when the Yawns, physically depicted by a hoard of blue marshmallow creatures, descend. Try as they might, the pair are eventually caught. While this foe is no match for their willpower, the combined forces of Doze and company are. With adorable bedtime costumes, exaggerated expressions, and expressive fonts, this funny slumber party probably won't have readers yawning. Some may notice the hint, though, from the little lesson slipped in at the end. Eliopoulos's (Ordinary People Change the World) cute cartoons continue to grace the format. VERDICT Certain to be a favorite for many, this hilarious bedtime story will likely keep the kids up with laughter. Repeated reads may induce the desired effect.--Rachel Forbes, Oakville Public Library, Ont.

Eliopoulos (Monster Mayhem) has created a sneakily effective bedtime book focused on an interest shared by kids everywhere: valiantly resisting sleep. Two best friends, a brown-skinned narrator sporting a blue bear onesie and his guest, white-skinned Noodles, who wears a green dinosaur onesie, make a long list of sleepover plans--none of which, naturally, involves snoozing. The pair play games, jump on the trampoline, and collect fireflies, but their plan goes awry when, in the middle of a card game, Noodles frantically announces: "THE YAWNS ARE COMING!" Sure enough, hundreds of little blue, smiling creatures--the Yawns--soon swarm the friends, who "ran. And we climbed. And we sneaked. And we hid" before being caught out. The two begin to yawn, mouths wide open despite their protestations, when "SPLAP!" a glassy-eyed Doze lands on Noodles's head. Fluttering Snores arrive just behind it, and a calming, blanketlike Sleepie wraps the bear-suited boy up warm and safe. Amid fun-filled antics in Eliopoulos's signature style, his use of soothing cool colors plays out against ample white space, cleverly centering exaggerated yawns and bleary eyes that are all too easy to mimic, making for a surprisingly soporofic read. Ages 4--8. (Apr.)

Two friends fight personified yawns, dozes, and snoozes in order to get through their to-do list at their sleepover. A small black child has invited best friend Noodles, a taller, white child, over for a sleepover. "We were planning to stay up all / night / long." Their list of fun things to do extends over two pages. Dressed in animal onesies, they play games, jump on the trampoline, and catch fireflies. But then, as they are playing cards, it happens. Noodles cries, "The YAWNS are coming! // RUUUUUN!" The kids dash this way and that, trying to lose the adorable, smiling, round blue creatures that pursue them. But to no avail. The yawns catch them. The kids try to resist, but then a big, oozy doze lands on Noodle's head. And then the snores arrive, with wings. In the morning, the duo find that all is not lost: They make a new to-do list and get to it. Expressive cartoon illustrations set in simple colors against white space combine with varied typesetting to play up the urgency of the situation. Every child who has had a sleepover can relate to this silly tale, which turns the important aspiration of staying up all night into an adventure. The chase will have youngsters giggling all the way through and asking for another read. Hilarious bedtime fun, ideal for sharing--provided the dozes hold off. (Picture book. 4-9) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

An unnamed narrator has a whole list of activities planned to stay awake with best friend Noodles on their sleepover. After playing games, jumping on a trampoline, and catching fireflies, though, the duo begins to tire. Enter: "THE YAWNS." Though the children try mightily to evade them, the YAWNS-represented as little blue smiling blobs-quickly multiply. First the protagonist weakens ("I would YAWN"), then Noodles does, with their yawns alternating (and growing) until: "A DOZE landed on Noodles' head...it was too late. The SNORES had arrived." Eventually our narrator, too, succumbs. But tomorrow is another day, with an ever-growing list of activities keeping the now-well-rested buddies occupied. Eliopoulos ably conveys the contagiousness of a yawn-and the contagiousness of kids' enthusiasm for sleepover fun. The not-so-sleepy comic-style digital illustrations and speech-bubble-heavy text add accessibility and appeal. That the friends (Noodles is tall and light-skinned, the narrator is a head shorter and brown-skinned) are wearing animal costumes-or are those cozy pajama suits?-reinforces the unselfconscious comfort of their friendship. Elissa Gershowitz May/June 2020 p.96(c) Copyright 2020. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

A small, brown-skinned child invites his best friend Noodles to his house for a sleepover, but sleep doesn't seem to be in the cards. Their list of all-nighter activities includes hide-and-seek, board games, soccer, and firefly collecting. But then it happens: "THE YAWNS ARE COMING!" Minions of little blue characters with googly eyes and open red mouths arrive, chasing the two as they yell, "RUUUUUN!" The following unexpected double-page spread shows the two wide-eyed kids surrounded by hundreds of the little blue rascals. They sprint, they sneak, they hide, but it's no use: resistance is futile. The duo are soon covered by the yawns. Noodles is infected by a giant yawn that spans the entire double page and is followed by the "SPLAP!" of a DOZE and the resounding ZZZ of a "SNOOOORE!" The digitally created cartoon artwork pops in colorful cameos and full bleeds as the two best friends try to escape their fate. When bedtime beckons, it will be impossible to get through this book aloud without summoning yawns--bedtime success is guaranteed.