Jibberwillies at Night

Reviewed: December 17, 2008
By: Story by Rachel Vail / Illustrations by Yumi Heo
Publisher: Scholastic Books
, $18.99

Kate Honors is happy in the morning when the sun shines in her bedroom window, happy during the day with her friends and family, happy getting ready for bed and reading with her dog beside her. She has a comfortable life, and sometimes, as she says, “I can comfortable myself right to sleep.”

And then there are other nights. Nights when the Jibberwillies come to visit.

She tries everything she can think of to banish the scary beasts, but finally has to call on her mother, who tries several tricks before finding one that will work.

Almost everyone I know has suffered night terrors as a child at some point and has had to find ways to cope, ranging from night lights to teddy bears to cowering under the blankets. This story makes gentle fun of the whole experience with lots of colourful lettering and exuberant pictures, but I doubt if it will do anything to get rid of it. Indeed, it may simply give the kids who have it read to them a whole new name for the monsters under the bed and in the closet.

It was fun though.

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