God, I Need to talk to You about Bedtime

God, I Need to Talk to You About Bedtime, written by Susan K. Leigh, is one in a series of 18 little books. Each follows a young child as he or she talks to God about a specific problem or struggle. This one is about a little girl who has difficulty falling asleep.

As she prays to God, she tells Him all the reasons she doesn't want to go to sleep, then remembers all the reasons her parents gave her for why she should. She even recounts how God rested after creation.

Three verses are quoted in sidebar fashion: Ecclesiastes 4:6, Proverbs 3:24, and Genesis 2:3.

The illustrations by Bill Clark appear to combine ink line drawings with watercolor. They're fun and touch sketchy.

What I Like: This series always offers indirect, yet effective lessons about prayer. It shows by example that kids can talk to God about anything that's on their hearts. I really like that. I also like the frequent inclusion of Scripture quotations. My kids like these because they make easy memory verses.

What I Dislike: I don't like the size of this book. It's so tiny (4-1/2" x 5-1/2"), I'm sure it will easily be lost. However, the size does make it an easy book to slip inside an overnight bag for a sleepover at Grandma's, so maybe that's not such a bad thing.

My biggest problem with this title is that it doesn't solve the bedtime problem. My son is a night owl who consistently struggles with falling asleep. He simply isn't tired when bedtime arrives. This book reiterated all the logical reasons we've given him for why he should go to sleep, but it didn't offer any suggestions for how. This frustrated both him and me.

Overall Rating: Good.

Age Appeal: 4-8

Publisher Info: Concordia Publishing House, 2011; ISBN: 0758626584; Paperback; 16 pages; $1.19

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Special Info: See our reviews of other books in this series. We've also reviewed a Christmas book by this same author.