Bunnies must be quiet because it’s Baby’s bedtime, but Baby is awake and needs a bear, book, and blanket to sleep! The Bunnies first search for and collect a pile of bears. The Bunnies then go to find Baby’s book and take all the books off the shelves. Finally, the Bunnies search for Baby’s blanket, but it’s been through the wash and is stiff, clean, and smells wrong. So, the Bunnies hug and tug the blanket until it’s just right. Still, Baby is crying, so the Bunnies line up to give Baby a goodnight kiss. That’s not the end, though. Now the Bunnies line up for their bear, book, blanket, and goodnight kiss.

The Bear, The Book, and The Blanket is a charming story. The text is filled with wonderful alliteration and wordplay. The endpaper illustrations are particularly fun: each bunny is given a name starting with “B” at the front, while the Bunnies are sound asleep as Baby crawls away at the end. This book could quickly become a bedtime or nap-time favorite.

(Review originally published on the Los Angeles Book Review and book donated to the Maltby Food Bank.)