One Ted Falls Out of Bed {what we’re reading}

Well it was only a matter of time before I got to Julia Donaldson.

We’re big Gruffalo fans in this house, and after I overcame my initial objections on the grounds that the mouse tells a whole heap of porky pies without more than a smidge of comeuppance, the mouse, fox, owl, snake and gruffalo all became familiar friends on dogeared well thumbed pages. But today’s love letter to reading isn’t addressed to the Gruffalo, or any of the other collaborations with Axel Schaffer (although I reserve the right to return to them on another day), but something a little more recent, One Ted Falls Out of Bed.

Poor Teddy. Despite all of the jumping and shouting he can manage from his lonely spot on the floor, he can’t wake up his best friend to lift him back into bed, and so he sets off on an adventure with three friendly mice for company.

But all he really wants is to be back in bed, and so together with all of his new found friends, they set out to get him back up and under the covers, making enough accidental noise in the process that two eyes open wide and scoop dear Ted back up for a cuddle.

It’s another of the distinguished list of books which we have borrowed from the library and known that we needed to own. Kitty had this at bedtime for weeks and weeks last autumn and now it’s Elma’s turn.

As with all of Julia Donaldson’s rhyming books it has a lovely cadence. It’s one of only two books she’s produced with Anna Currey, the other being Rosie’s Hat – which I think we may need to investigate – and I hope there are more to come. The drawings are beautiful; ink sketches coloured with vibrant watercolour washes that give personality to each little character.

With Kitty I tend to use it as a counting story; the three mice, five stars shining as bright as day, and nine frogs playing tunes, among others. But for Elma it’s a sleepy story, something soothing to listen to as she snuggles into my arm and attempts to wriggle around and head butt my chest until the story finished and it’s time for milk, for heavy lidded eyes to droop slowly down, and for the nightly parental ballet required to transfer a tiny just about asleep girl from Mama’s arms into her cot.

And if she wakes up – well I’m never going to say no to another story and a little more cuddling before deep sleep comes.

We’re all back from our bank holidays this week so do go and say hi to Lucy and Kelle and see what they’ve been reading, and let us know what’s been imprinting itself in your brain by joining in the linky – I can’t wait to see what new treasures await!