The sun in sinking in the sky, yawning as it goes.

“It’s time for kisses, cuddles, and whānau snuggles.”

The people of NZ and all its creatures are settling in for the night, even teddies!

We are taken from a beautiful vista of New Zealand to a bedroom, fireplace, a kennel and more. All through the land, creatures are closing their eyes, snuggling, wriggling, nuzzling, humming, nestling and ruffling, off to sleep.

All except Kiwi! She’s awake and ready for adventure!

From the front cover of empty beds to the back cover of full ones, this bedtime book is just wonderful. A vista of a New Zealand landscape shows the reader the sun, yawning wide as he goes down behind the clouds. A small child, with a teddy in one hand, climbs into bed. Page after page of settling creatures, both native and not, are going to sleep.

Each page settles the reader even more as it shows the local creek, the pig pen, paddock and ponies with heavy lidded eyes. The sun’s rays are deepening into oranges and reds until finally swept away by darkening skies. Down tunnels, under oceans and across beaches we go, until we reach a tree where a kiwi is wakening. 

As always, Donovan Bixley’s illustrations are full of things to look at and treasures to discover. I love the hills on the first page and all the connections to Bixley books we know and love and other kiwi treasures too. Check out the beds on the inside back cover – now full and captioned with bedtime wishes.

A calm, restful, perfect book for bedtime with a Goodnight in te reo. Pōmārie.

Gorgeous.

Author / Illustrator – Donovan Bixley

Picture Book

(2021, Upstart Press, NZ, Aotearoa, New Zealand, Bedtime, Sleep, Calm, Restful, Te reo, Kiwi, Native Birds, Ocean, Whales, Penguins, Pigs, Cows, Dogs, Cats, Tui, Beds, Bees, Horses, Sheep, Ducks, Eels, Animals)