How Many Sleeps til my Birthday?
Tiger Tales / Publishers Group Canada
By Mark Sperring, illustrated by Sebastien Braun
32 pages
age 5-8
Synopsis from Publishers Group Canada:
Little Pip is so excited for his birthday! “WAKE UP!” he exclaims to Daddy Grizzle. Today is a very special dayÉ because today is my birthday!” But Daddy Grizzle tells him that it’s not his special day yet. “There are still THREE whole sleeps ’til your birthday.” Little Pip wonders how he’ll ever make it – but Daddy Grizzle has a plan to give his little cub the best birthday party ever!
I have vlogged before about how important birthdays are in our home, especially for the kids. How Many Sleeps til my Birthday? taps into that childlike excitement leading up to the day. Little Pip’s excitement is contagious for the reader but it’s the relationship between Little Pip and Daddy Grizzle that makes this story really endearing.
Daddy Grizzle’s surprise each morning is a bit of a ruse but plays into Little Pip’s excitement. We find in the end that Daddy Grizzle has been counting down to Little Pip’s birthday too when he reveals a big surprise.
I can see How Many Sleeps til my Birthday? becoming a traditional read before any anticipated event with kids, coupled with the original How Many Sleeps til Christmas (a book I’ll have to add to our holiday library).
Additional Reading: The Princess and the Pony.
You can find a copy of How Many Sleeps til my Birthday from Publishers Group Canada or your local bookstore. Visit our Kid’s Books section for other great book recommendations.