Book Review: “Don’t Close Your Eyes” by Bob Hostetler

My son loves to read (almost as much as I do) and was so excited when I told him we got to review a book together. We spent the past week hovering by the mailbox and when this sweet story finally arrived, he was all too eager to dive in!

It’s not often that you want a book to lull you to sleep. But this lovely, little bedtime story aims to do just that!

“Don’t Close Your Eyes” is a beautifully illustrated, rhyming book that is the perfect way to end the day with your littles. Using some reverse psychology, young listeners are challenged to keep their eyes open — even if those eyelids are feeling heavy! Written by Bob Hostetler and illustrated by Mark Chambers, this “silly bedtime story” is sure to be a hit for toddlers and preschoolers alike.

This story is super cute. The illustrations are bright and bold and have tons of adorable animal families snoozing across each page. I appreciated that there’s enough humour in the story to entertain while still maintaining that calming, before-bed type of read. I also liked that the board book itself has a nice soft cover and that the pages are able to lie flat without damaging the spine (an important feature for reading with young kids.)

My preschooler’s thoughts:

• He thought it was absolutely hilarious that the animals “still have their eyes open when the moon is up!”
• He really enjoyed the artwork, especially the owls.
• “I liked it but I don’t think I can keep my eyes open that long. It’s too tiring.”
  (Sounds like a winning book to me!)

This story is a sweet and lulling, soon-to-be classic that I know we’ll re-read many times!

My preschooler gives this book “4 stars out of 5.” (He’d also like to know why we rate books with “stars” and why there’s only 5 of them.) Mom’s adding an extra half star to that to give this book 4.5 stars out of 5!

Don’t Close Your Eyes, A Silly Bedtime Story is available today, so be sure to check it out and let me know what YOU think! And now, excuse me while I go take a little nap…

**I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.**