Beddy-Bye Time in the Kowhai Tree product reviews

Miss Four and Mr Two are at exactly the right age to enjoy a book about bedtime. Miss Four has a routine which she usually follows; Mr Two can be a challenge as there are always so many interesting things going on that he wants to see! It was wonderful to see how the story integrates bedtime with a counting game, and even more rewarding to see how well Mr Two responded. By the time the last page had been reached he was nearly asleep!

Miss Four was delighted to see that the child was listening to the story of Duck Goes Meow. This has been one of her favourites for more than a year; she made the link straight away. Mr Two's favourite illustration was that showing the child sitting on the potty. He is that stage himself so it resonated with him - although he wanted to know he could not have pretty seashells on his own toilet paper too. It never ceases to amaze me how much detail small children find in picture books! Both of them commented that the parents had matching pounamu, and Miss Four noted that after the count reached 12 the number of items on the page did not match. There were not 100 moths or 1000 sheep! However, she has not yet learned to count above 20 with any confidence, so I had to double check that one myself.

The illustrations are superb, with just enough detail to support the story without making the layout too cluttered. Both words and pictures set the narration firmly in Aotearoa New Zealand: the kowhai tree, the use of Maori names for the various items, the taniwha images based on Maori art. The title page spread depicts a very Kiwi landscape with house, sheep, and various flora with harakeke and ti kouka joining the kowhai.

After the book had been read several times over, Mr Two was starting to count along with his big sister, pointing to each item in turn. The three kereru were easy, but the six taniwha were a little more challenging as there were lots of other items in the bath too! We are still working on that one. Miss Four tried to pick them out for him but he did not have the patience - he wanted to turn the pages and see the child getting into pyjamas after the bath.

This is an ideal book for first time parents who might be experiencing issues with getting toddlers to go to bed. The combination of counting exercises, bedtime routines that are enjoyable and relatable for the child, and fun illustrations are designed to distract the child from pushing boundaries and make him accept that going to bed can be fun too! It would make an ideal gift for a new mum or dad.