Anyone out there know/have children who dig in their heels at the thought of interrupting their day with a nap? This book should become part of your persuasive repertoire:
Text ©️Chris Grabenstein Illustrations ©️Leo Espinosa
Notice the front end paper:
Text ©️Chris Grabenstein Illustrations ©️Leo Espinosa
the wail that continues across the title page (not shown) and on to the first spread:
Text ©️Chris Grabenstein Illustrations ©️Leo Espinosa
Annalise Devine McFleece did not want to take a nap.
Annalise has a set of lungs, as they say.
Text ©️Chris Grabenstein Illustrations ©️Leo Espinosa
She would fuss.
She would fume.
She would scream.
She would SHRIEK
But she would not ever—no NEVER—
take a nap.
(Do you know anyone like that?)
Oh that face! And the perfect type size and font for that SHRIEK!
We’ve been there. The child you’re reading to has been there, and they can appreciate and empathize completely.
And the breaking of the fourth wall with the question to the reader will surely bring a smile.
Annalise Devin McFleece’s father does what every desperate parent in the world has tried: he straps her in the stroller and heads our for a spin in the park. Does Annalise fall asleep to the rumble of wheels and the fresh air? Of course not.
Instead, she and her father meet people in the park who want to take her nap, since it’s clear she doesn’t want it. One by one, people drop off to sleep in the midst of whatever they were doing. In some cases, they sleepwalk through their tasks. Everyone is falling asleep—
except Annalise. Her father even falls sleep while pushing the stroller. Everyone is snoozling. (LOVE that word!)
And Annalise? Well, those eyes are finally at half mast. She stretches and yawns, now that she has nothing to do and
No one to play with.
No one to fuss, fume, scream, or shriek at.
She is getting very very v-e-r-y sleepy. I love the close-up perspective that the illustrator chose for this spread. The reader is right there with Annalise as her eyelids grow heavy.
Text ©️Chris Grabenstein Illustrations ©️Leo Espinosa
But does she fall asleep? Well, you’ll have to get a copy of the book to find out.
I’m thinking we may be seeing more of Annalise Devin McFleece sometime down the road. Kids will love poring over the details in illustrations that add a whole level of absurdity to this tale of one cranky toddler. The end papers as an extension of the book, and the use of the extended wail that bleeds from page to page are inspired artistic elements that add to the reading experience.
Activities:
Pair this book with Little Night by Yuyi Morales
Make a spyglass, and find people from different occupations, animals or objects (traffic cone, jackhammer, cake, squirrel, butterfly, hats, newspaper, pigeon, dog, ice cream cone, balloon, baseball mitt, fish, etc.) depicted in the book.
Make a sleepy origami cat
Title: No More Naps!
Author: Chris Grabenstein
Illustrator: Leo Espinosa
Publisher: Random House, 2020
Ages: 2-6
Themes: Nap time, tantrums
For more perfect picture book recommendations, please visit Susanna Hill’s blog.
Jilanne Hoffmann 
This looks adorable and relatable, although this one battle my own children didn’t fight.
Yes, my son was always a good napper, too. But I know so many people who are struggling with kids who aren’t.
I just got a text from my daughter that today’s nap was only 45 minutes. So my granddaughter might not be a good napper but it’s the staying asleep that seems to be the challenge.
I used to try to give my son lots of sensory stimulation (like swimming or playing in water) at least an hour before naptime, so he’d be ready to process all that in his sleep. It’s hard to do this with COVID.
Love these illustrations! And I agree that addressing the reader directly adds to the appeal.
Yes, I imagine any number of kids answering the questions or nodding with a sly smile.
I haven’t seen a no nap book in a while – always a favorite!
And this one is quite well done. Breaking the 4th wall really works here.
I also never had trouble wearing my kids out before naptime, but this one does look adorable!
What an adorable book. And, yes my daughter hated naps. And I hated naps — in fact back in the 50s we didn’t have air conditioning, so windows were opened. So when I went into my bedroom for my nap, I climbed pushed up my screen and climbed out my bedroom and went to play with a neighbor kid. Got caught! Today my parents would be charged with child endangerment charges. Kids are kids. Sounds like a wonderful book and I love the illustrations.
Love that story about you, Patricia! It made me laugh!
Oh the face on the cover! This is a stage I definitely don’t miss. I always found the best place to nap was on my grandpa’s tummy. Until he snored & I got the giggles. Thanks Jilanne for highlighting this one. I’ve added it to my TBR toppling pile.
The things we remember! That’s awesome, Maria! Sounds like a great place to nap to me…
OH those precious pictures are priceless! This one gives me pause as I remember back to the day when I’d count on the kids napping so that I could nap and I never could get them to sleep in sync. Thanks for scouting this one out.
So true. I only have one child, so the sleeping in sync issue never arose in our household. But many friends and relatives have had this problem. When my son was an infant, I was usually sleep-deprived because he didn’t sleep through the night for the first ten months, so I needed any nap I could get. When the switch suddenly flipped, it was dream! I hope you find the book!
I would definitely have taken Annalise’s nap when my two always-wide-awake kids were little, and I would take it now – if only there was time… I love that twist in the story.
It really is a brilliant interpretation of that age-old phrase. I would like to take her nap right now, LOL.