Marc Just Couldn't Sleep by Gabriela Keselman, illustrated by Noemi Villamuza Ages 4-8 28 pages Kane/Miller September 2007 Paperback     Marc is tired, but he just can’t sleep. Like most little ones, he does all he can to delay the inevitable, and his overly inventive mother does all she can and more to get her boy down for the night. To calm her son’s fear of giant mosquitoes, she comes up with “mosquito-proof pajamas complete with a helmet and a buzz repellent teddy bear.” However, Marc’s fears prove to be bigger than a few oversized bugs, and mother runs ragged trying to keep up. In Marc Just Couldn’t Sleep, author Gabriela Keselman shows the special relationship between mother and son. However, Mom’s outrageous anecdotes soon stop making sense, and the humor is easily lost. Although picture books are often quirky and fun, they should still ring true for believability. So when Marc’s mother plops a live duck on him to keep him from catching cold, the significance seems to have veered off course. The bold illustrations of dark-skinned, curly-haired Marc by Noemi Villamuza are absolutely adorable. The only thing missing from her beautifully crafted artwork is a goofy smile on Marc’s face to match her silly depictions. What child in his right mind could keep a serious face while sitting in bed with a colander on his head, big round glasses and a parachute strapped to his back? All in all, the ending fills an emotional gap and will appeal to every mom who has gone that extra mile to get her drowsy child to sleep. Nighty-night!     web reviews   Niki Schoenfeldt/2009 for curled up with a good kid's book   For grown-up fiction, nonfiction and speculative fiction book reviews, visit our sister site Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)