I'm Really Not Tired
Written by Lori Sunshine, Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler
Written by Lori Sunshine, Illustrated by Jeffrey Ebbeler
Does this happen at your house?
Sam sneaks out of bed with his trusted furry accomplice, Petey Bear, to discover what really goes
on in the house at night.
Mom and Dad do after Sam's bedtime? The truth awaits in the den if only Sam and Petey
can avoid that squeaky stair.
This rollicking, rhyming adventure will prove, once and for all, that kids aren't missing out on
anything special after bedtime. Or are they?
Sam sneaks out of bed with his trusted furry accomplice, Petey Bear, to discover what really goes
on in the house at night.
- "We miss all the fun, Pete, it's really not fair,"
Sam said as they slid on their seats down a stair.
"Could our basement be filled with a thousand toy trains?
Does our bathroom have fish swimming up all the drains?"
Mom and Dad do after Sam's bedtime? The truth awaits in the den if only Sam and Petey
can avoid that squeaky stair.
This rollicking, rhyming adventure will prove, once and for all, that kids aren't missing out on
anything special after bedtime. Or are they?
Hardcover, 32 full color pages, ages 4-8
November 2008, ISBN 978-09799746-1-8
November 2008, ISBN 978-09799746-1-8
Endorsements and Reviews
“A delightful book!” – Dr. Twila Liggett, Mom’s Choice Awards Judge and Founder of PBS’s Reading Rainbow
"This read-aloud picture book explores universal curiosity about what really goes on in a child's house at night in rhyme and with
humor. It will strike a chord with kids and parents alike....The illustrations feature a lot of action and facial expression, utilizing a
colorful yet distinctly nighttime palette. ...a good choice for bedtime reading with a preschool-aged listener."—Dianne Ochiltree,
Children's Literature
"Sam is convinced that all the best things happen after he goes to bed. Envisioning a circus in the kitchen, a zoo in the guest room, fish
swimming in the bathroom drains, and more, he hatches a plan to sneak downstairs and discover the fun for himself. ...Ebbeler's
acrylic paintings feature a likable round-faced boy and a stuffed panda accomplice whose facial expressions look convincingly real."
—Susan E. Murray, School Library Journal
From The Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's Media
This fun, curious picture book asks the very important question "what do we miss when we go to sleep?" Certain that his parents
have all kinds of fun once he's tucked safely into bed, Samuel McKay decides to sneak out of bed with his accomplice Petey Bear, a
panda stuffed animal, to catch the excitement once and for all. Images of Sam and Petey Bear sliding down the stairs and creeping
down hallways are interspersed with Sam's imagination: maybe they play video games and eat cake, have a circus act in the kitchen,
or ride dinosaurs in the yard! W hen he finds his parents quietly doing the crossword and reading magazines, he's utterly
disappointed, and decides he must have just missed the good stuff.
Sunshine's narrations are done in rhyme and rhythm that are at times reminiscent of classic Dr. Seuss as well as The Night Before
Christmas, and most of it works very well. The best part of the book, though, is in the fun and colorful pastel illustrations.Ebbeler
has hidden funny images and hints around every page--if you look closely, Sam's bedroom at the beginning suggests imaginings to
come as it's littered with a toy rocket, a fish tank, jungle sheets, and a drawing of a dinosaur. Kids will enjoy searching the pictures
for new details each reading. It would also work well as a read-aloud in a group.Rating: AD+/R (Additional plus, Recommended
buy) —Jenny Singer, Puget Sound Council, Oregon
"Books Kids Will Love: Two new picture books deal with the ritual of bedtime.... Like many children, the little boy in Lori Sunshine's
"I'm Really Not Tired," is convinced that his parents do amazing things after he's asleep.... He and his toy panda slowly, carefully slip
down the stairs, getting caught once when a stair squeaks, then finally peep around a corner to see his mother and dad doing...
nothing at all!" —Carla Carlton, The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal
"...one night Sam and his sidekick, Petey Bear, sneak downstairs to spy on the ruckus. What they find is a revelation. No circus. No
zoo. No ice cream feast. Just the same ordinary things that happen during the day. So Sam goes on back upstairs to his bed. Even
though he’s not tired. Soon he is asleep. That’s a lesson all parents wish they could offer their toddlers."—Greg Langley, The Baton
Rouge Advocate
"Sunshine's rhyming style makes the story ...fun to read aloud. Ebbeler's illustrations turn imagination into visual reality with vibrant
colors and detail." —Jennifer LeBrun, Sacramento Book Review
"...will bring giggles from the kids and warm smiles from their reading parent. Definitely a winner." Jan Fields, MyShelf.com
"A cheerful tale that offers both a fun read and reassurance that what goes on in the house in the dark is nothing to be scared of." —
Cheryl Coon, author of Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough
Challenges, Lutra Press; 0974802573; www.lutrapress.com.
"My son was intrigued by this book because he could really identify with the boy’s plight.
Reading page after page he said, “hey, this is what I think” or “this is what I say!” He really
saw himself in the story and felt some camaraderie with this imaginary character. He wanted
the boy to catch Mom and Dad, I think, to prove that we do throw parties without him every
night. I admit, I was a little nervous he’d get some ideas from the story, but thankfully our
explanations of what we do when he goes to bed seem to satisfy him. I mean, who wants to stay up late and
clean the living room, right?" —Kim Phillips, GooDReaDs with Ronna.com
From LargePrintReviews.com
"Samuel McKay is really not that tired. What he is, is curious about what goes on in the world after he goes to sleep. ...Written by
Lori Sunshine, in a rhyming style, and accompanied by lively illustrations by Jeffrey Ebbeler, I'm Really Not Tired is a great
children's picture book that is not only fun for parents and grandparents to read to their young ones, but which makes a great
bedtime story for little ones who, like Sam, don't think that they are as tired as they really are. The text is printed in a 16 -point font
size, making it ideal for readers who need, or desire, a large print font size. This font size also makes the book an ideal 'starter' book
for new readers, while non-readers will enjoy looking at the colorful and detailed pictures. Best of all, readers of all ages will
delight in imagining what might be going on in their own homes, after they have gone to bed!" --Anna Dogole
"...an entertaining, clever, and well-written story of a boy’s curiosity about what goes on after he is put to bed.... children take a
bedtime journey without having to get out from under the covers!" —Luci Weston, www.HereWeAreWithLuci.com
See full reviews here
“A delightful book!” – Dr. Twila Liggett, Mom’s Choice Awards Judge and Founder of PBS’s Reading Rainbow
"This read-aloud picture book explores universal curiosity about what really goes on in a child's house at night in rhyme and with
humor. It will strike a chord with kids and parents alike....The illustrations feature a lot of action and facial expression, utilizing a
colorful yet distinctly nighttime palette. ...a good choice for bedtime reading with a preschool-aged listener."—Dianne Ochiltree,
Children's Literature
"Sam is convinced that all the best things happen after he goes to bed. Envisioning a circus in the kitchen, a zoo in the guest room, fish
swimming in the bathroom drains, and more, he hatches a plan to sneak downstairs and discover the fun for himself. ...Ebbeler's
acrylic paintings feature a likable round-faced boy and a stuffed panda accomplice whose facial expressions look convincingly real."
—Susan E. Murray, School Library Journal
From The Puget Sound Council for Reviewing Children's Media
This fun, curious picture book asks the very important question "what do we miss when we go to sleep?" Certain that his parents
have all kinds of fun once he's tucked safely into bed, Samuel McKay decides to sneak out of bed with his accomplice Petey Bear, a
panda stuffed animal, to catch the excitement once and for all. Images of Sam and Petey Bear sliding down the stairs and creeping
down hallways are interspersed with Sam's imagination: maybe they play video games and eat cake, have a circus act in the kitchen,
or ride dinosaurs in the yard! W hen he finds his parents quietly doing the crossword and reading magazines, he's utterly
disappointed, and decides he must have just missed the good stuff.
Sunshine's narrations are done in rhyme and rhythm that are at times reminiscent of classic Dr. Seuss as well as The Night Before
Christmas, and most of it works very well. The best part of the book, though, is in the fun and colorful pastel illustrations.Ebbeler
has hidden funny images and hints around every page--if you look closely, Sam's bedroom at the beginning suggests imaginings to
come as it's littered with a toy rocket, a fish tank, jungle sheets, and a drawing of a dinosaur. Kids will enjoy searching the pictures
for new details each reading. It would also work well as a read-aloud in a group.Rating: AD+/R (Additional plus, Recommended
buy) —Jenny Singer, Puget Sound Council, Oregon
"Books Kids Will Love: Two new picture books deal with the ritual of bedtime.... Like many children, the little boy in Lori Sunshine's
"I'm Really Not Tired," is convinced that his parents do amazing things after he's asleep.... He and his toy panda slowly, carefully slip
down the stairs, getting caught once when a stair squeaks, then finally peep around a corner to see his mother and dad doing...
nothing at all!" —Carla Carlton, The Louisville (KY) Courier-Journal
"...one night Sam and his sidekick, Petey Bear, sneak downstairs to spy on the ruckus. What they find is a revelation. No circus. No
zoo. No ice cream feast. Just the same ordinary things that happen during the day. So Sam goes on back upstairs to his bed. Even
though he’s not tired. Soon he is asleep. That’s a lesson all parents wish they could offer their toddlers."—Greg Langley, The Baton
Rouge Advocate
"Sunshine's rhyming style makes the story ...fun to read aloud. Ebbeler's illustrations turn imagination into visual reality with vibrant
colors and detail." —Jennifer LeBrun, Sacramento Book Review
"...will bring giggles from the kids and warm smiles from their reading parent. Definitely a winner." Jan Fields, MyShelf.com
"A cheerful tale that offers both a fun read and reassurance that what goes on in the house in the dark is nothing to be scared of." —
Cheryl Coon, author of Books to Grow With: A Guide to Using the Best Children's Fiction for Everyday Issues and Tough
Challenges, Lutra Press; 0974802573; www.lutrapress.com.
"My son was intrigued by this book because he could really identify with the boy’s plight.
Reading page after page he said, “hey, this is what I think” or “this is what I say!” He really
saw himself in the story and felt some camaraderie with this imaginary character. He wanted
the boy to catch Mom and Dad, I think, to prove that we do throw parties without him every
night. I admit, I was a little nervous he’d get some ideas from the story, but thankfully our
explanations of what we do when he goes to bed seem to satisfy him. I mean, who wants to stay up late and
clean the living room, right?" —Kim Phillips, GooDReaDs with Ronna.com
From LargePrintReviews.com
"Samuel McKay is really not that tired. What he is, is curious about what goes on in the world after he goes to sleep. ...Written by
Lori Sunshine, in a rhyming style, and accompanied by lively illustrations by Jeffrey Ebbeler, I'm Really Not Tired is a great
children's picture book that is not only fun for parents and grandparents to read to their young ones, but which makes a great
bedtime story for little ones who, like Sam, don't think that they are as tired as they really are. The text is printed in a 16 -point font
size, making it ideal for readers who need, or desire, a large print font size. This font size also makes the book an ideal 'starter' book
for new readers, while non-readers will enjoy looking at the colorful and detailed pictures. Best of all, readers of all ages will
delight in imagining what might be going on in their own homes, after they have gone to bed!" --Anna Dogole
"...an entertaining, clever, and well-written story of a boy’s curiosity about what goes on after he is put to bed.... children take a
bedtime journey without having to get out from under the covers!" —Luci Weston, www.HereWeAreWithLuci.com
See full reviews here
<< 4th grade students at Marlton
Elementary School in New Jersey
surprised author Lori Sunshine by
painting huge copies of some of the
images in I'm Really Not Tired. Click
here or on the photo to see the students'
paintings alongside Jeff Ebbeler's
paintings for this book.
Elementary School in New Jersey
surprised author Lori Sunshine by
painting huge copies of some of the
images in I'm Really Not Tired. Click
here or on the photo to see the students'
paintings alongside Jeff Ebbeler's
paintings for this book.
| Picture Books That Explore and Illuminate |
AWARDS & HONORS
Mom's Choice Award Gold Recipient: Bedtime Stories, 2010
Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Award list 2009-10
South Dakota Prairie Bud Award list 2010-11
Mom's Choice Award Gold Recipient: Bedtime Stories, 2010
Alabama Camellia Children's Choice Award list 2009-10
South Dakota Prairie Bud Award list 2010-11
