Also illustrated and/or written by Melissa Sweet: A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin Christmas Tree Hanukkah Lights Carmine: A Little More Red Won't You Be My Kissaroo? Won't You Be My Hugaroo? Charlotte in Paris The Sleepy Little Alphabet: A Bedtime Story from Alphabet Town by Judy Sierra, illustrated by Melissa Sweet Baby-PreK 40 pages Knopf June 2009 Hardcover     It’s bedtime in Alphabet Town, and the little alphabet (all in lowercase) are getting ready for bed. First, of course, they run helter-skelter, skitter-scatter, and have to be corralled by their Mommies and Daddies (the uppercase letters). Each of the 26 alphabet kids is at a different stage of the bedtime routine: some are still wide awake, while others take a bath, read a book, tuck in their teddy bears, or give a goodnight kiss. And what bedtime would be complete without an alphabet or two standing on their heads, jumping on the bed, being naughty, or upsetting the potty? Children will enjoy seeing their own not-always-compliant bedtime behavior mirrored by the alphabet; for instance, k simply refuses to kiss goodnight while l demands that the light stay on. But, eventually, all the little ones fall fast asleep, and peace reigns again in Alphabet Town. My first impression of this book was that it was strongly reminiscent of Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, adapted to a bedtime story. But it is so much more than a mere imitation of that alphabet classic. This is a beautifully written and illustrated, perfectly executed, utterly delightful alphabet book in its own right. The bouncy rhythm of the text combined with the neatly captured details of a young child’s nighttime routine makes for an enjoyable read, even if you should find yourself reading the book for the umpteenth time that week (and you will). Illustrator Melissa Sweet gives each letter of the alphabet its own personality and creates a sense of different households with differing bedtime routines, a wonder considering that these are letters we are talking about here. Sweet’s adorable pencil, watercolor and collage artwork offers rich detail for the eye and is the perfect complement to Judy Sierra’s text. This is the perfect bedtime book for a toddler, even one who has already mastered the alphabet. What a treat this book is. The Sleepy Little Alphabet: A Bedtime Story from Alphabet Town will be on my Christmas gift list for a few children this year. I can guarantee that they will not soon tire of it!     web reviews   Usha Reynolds/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)