Under the Bed

Going to bed is difficult for children to accept. Their imaginations tend to run wild when they are alone in the dark. Cheering away the fright, Bright uses richly descriptive rhymes to make fun of what might be lurking beside the usual debris "under the bed." For the "beasts nibbling crumbs," the "dragon dozing," and even the grizzly bear down there are all "far too busy" or "too lazy to think about you" up in the bed. When the huge, horrible-looking creature there starts calling for his mommy, however, all the creatures run away, for they are afraid of "you!" Rough-hewn paintings of active animals, up close with lots of sharp teeth, are properly comic and hardly scary as they enjoy activities like eating pizza while reclining in a hammock. Our apprehensive hero upside down peers at us under the bed from the front of the jacket, while pairs of eyes stare out of the darkness on the back. Bugs, snakes, and an alligator join the bear and the red-winged dragon in the wild flight from him. This book is amusing reassurance for the fearful. – Children’s Literature