Thank you to Read Teach Write for reviewing Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!

“This is a review of the hardcover edition.

From the opening pages, the book reminded me a little bit of Kate Beaton’s King Baby, of which I am a huge fan, so that’s a compliment to both the sass in Wenjen’s writing and the exuberant illustrations of Boxer Baby herself by Gietzen. The story is a straightforward narrative: Dad is tasked with putting Boxer Baby down for a nap. As you can guess from the title…Boxer Baby does not go willingly! The story is told in the voice of a sports reporter, commenting on the action, as Boxer Baby bobs and weaves away from dad…and bedtime. I love that choice of narration style. A dog even walks through the action carrying Round cards. The book also includes a glossary of boxing terms. This choice for narration alone makes this a fun read-aloud for an hammy reader (I say that with affection, as a reformed hammy reader!).

In fact…I used it to host Pajamarama! Story Time at my local bookstore, and I got VERY INTO reading the books to our audience, to the point I once looked up mid-story time to see all the managers of the store peering into the children’s book department and laughing at me (in the nicest way). I would have LOVED to read this book at Pajamarama! Story Time! I think caretakers would have enjoyed the witty ending as much as children will.

The illustrations are, as I said, exuberant! The colors are bright, there is a LOT of action and movement on the page, and though simply rendered, the illustrations clearly share each character’s feelings. Caregivers will recognize the exhaustion on Dad’s face, ha. I enjoy the fact that Boxer Baby is unapologetic! She’s loud, she’s active, she has clear feelings and goals, and she is determined. Another thing I like about the book is that Boxer Baby is not named…making her experience relatable/universal to any reader.

Although the book is about bedtime, I’m not sure this is really ideal for RIGHT before bedtime–as I said, it’s very exuberant and action-packed book. There is a sequence that involves, well, poo, so I can imagine younger children losing their minds laughing over it. This is just a fun story by itself, although it would make a nice story to explore the idea of conflicting wants/needs between people (especially caregivers and children). It would be a nice way to talk about Big Feelings with children, too–how it can be frustrating not to have the right words to express yourself.

The review copy I have is a hardcover with no dust jacket (love that for longevity!). The pages inside are glossy, which is a nice tactile touch, but may not hold up to really aggressive handling by very young readers.”

p.s. Related posts:

First Reader Review for BOXER BABY BATTLES BEDTIME!

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Food for the Future: Sustainable Farms Around the World

• Junior Library Guild Gold selection
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• Starred review from School Library Journal
• Chicago Library’s Best of the Best
• 2023 INDIES Book of the Year Awards Finalist
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