| Ten Minutes Till Bedtime (Pict Bk) |  | Author: Peggy Rathmann
Publisher: Hodder Children's Books
Category: Book
This item is no longer available
Avg. Customer Rating:  44 reviews
Sales Rank: 5990413
Media: Hardcover
ISBN: 075002769X
EAN: 9780750027694
ASIN: 075002769X
Publication Date: June 30, 1999
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Amazon.com Review
"Ten minutes till bedtime!" Father announces from behind his newspaper. Out a picture window, his son and his son's pet hamster can see a hamster family (with kids numbered 1 to 10) approaching the house. "All aboard!" shouts the boy's prized pet, as his puzzled owner opens the door and the hamster tourists are loaded onto the special trolley. What the humans at 1 Hoppin Place don't know is that their cherished family pet has advertised on the Web (www.hamstertours.com) for a "10-Minute Bedtime Tour," and the hordes have only just begun to descend. "Nine minutes till bedtime," Father insists, oblivious to the burgeoning hamster parade. At the 8-minute marker, the hamsters and the boy are in the kitchen for a pre-bedtime snack. One little guy is standing on top of a fruit bowl, lowering a cherry cluster with a string and paper clip. Hamster number 10 is trying to feed an animal cracker to the boy's fuzzy bedroom slipper. "Seven minutes till bedtime!" reminds Father as creative tooth-brushing progresses. But what's this? It's the 5-minute countdown marker, and the faint light of hamster headlights appears out the window. More tourists are on their way! Buses, trucks, taxis, and golf carts full of rodents are driving up the sidewalk! Hilarious hamster hijinks ensue. If you're not seeing the appeal here, it's like this: each spread is turbocharged with dozens of winsome, adorable details that will keep youngsters giggling and entranced--and counting to 10--time after time. Peggy Rathmann, author of the Caldecott Medal-winning Officer Buckle and Gloria, offers readers a rollicking rodent romp that ends with a goodnight kiss and many, many closed eyelids. (Click to see a sample spread. Copyright 1998 Peggy Rathmann, published by Putnam Books, a division of Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.) (Ages 2 to 8) --Karin Snelson
Product Description
Its almost bedtime! At 1 Hoppin Place the fun begins when a family of hamsterswith ten offspring wearing jerseys numbered from one to tenarrives at the door. There are only ten minutes left, and theres still so much to do! But with the help of the Hamsters 10-Minute Bedtime Tour (guided by his own pet hamster), the little boy is able to get his toys put away, his pajamas on, his teeth brushed, and his bedtime story readall in the nick of time. This lively introduction to bedtime rituals and the concept of counting backwards will have young readers eagerly awaiting their own countdown to bedtime.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 39 more reviews...
 Excellent for early readers!! February 15, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
This is an excellent book for kids - especially those just starting to get into books. There is minimal language, but definitely a story and an exciting picture on every page. There are 10 hamsters, each with their own 'persona' and an ant that you can hunt for (like the mouse in Goodnight Moon) - kids love the search and find aspect and they are excited with each turn of the page. They can easily recognize and remember the dialogue so they can 'read' the book too. I think it is a great, great book - also a wonderful gift.
controlled (and giggly) chaos! February 12, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The brilliance of this book lies in the tiny details and the chaotic, then calm, nature of bedtime.
As the hamsters accompany the child on his bedtime routine, brushing teeth, pajamas, some are imitating our spiky haired hero, watch for one hamster with similar spiky hair parroting the movements of the child, and some are into a little mischief. Each page is packed with activity, and a parent can ask the open ended question, "what do you see" to dramatic effect. I read one review of a parent with an 18 month old who did not seem to `get' the book. He noted that all he could do was to point and say, "this one is brushing his teeth" etc. but I argue that the teaching aspect of this work lies not in the parent's view, but in the child's. Rather than telling the child what is on the page, ask an open-ended question. "which hamster is your favorite? "what do you see? What is happening on this page?" True, there is some effect of a "Where's Waldo" nature in that the page is absolutely packed with details. But, my 5 year old delights in these details, shouting, "look at this one. No...no...no.. look at this one". Each pose, each activity, adds to the bedlam and the giggle factor at my house. Cries of "don't turn the page yet!" are heard with some regularity as reading uncovers something new. It should be noted that by the book's end, the chaos has diminished so much so that the child of the book, and possibly your own child, are ready for bedtime at last. The mental equivalent of running around the yard prior to a nap to tire the child. 5 stars!
 I don't get it . . . More importantly, neither does my daughter. February 7, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
My wife and I received Good Night Gorilla as a baby gift. We instantly loved it, but it wasn't until I read it to my daughter that its magic became apparent. Since she was only a few months old I've put her to sleep with it. She's now 18 months and I still read it to her at least a few times per week. Of all her books, it is the one she chooses to read by far the most often. And it's such a sweet, simple story. I have at least as much fun reading it to her as she has listening, I'm sure.
So my wife and I were very excited when we ordered our next Peggy Rathman book. Unfortunately, when it came we were unimpressed. The story is more strange than sweet. In fact, the biggest problem with it is that there really is no story to tell. All I can do when I'm reading it to my daughter is point to the dozens of random and uninteresting things all the hamsters are doing and explain it. "He's kicking a ball, and he's brushing his teeth, and he's fishing, and he's climbing the ladder, and he's swimming, and he's driving a car, and he's . . . etc." My daughter is not interested in it. I don't blame her.
Perhaps Good Night Gorilla is a work of such utter brilliance that I am unfairly judging this book by a standard it couldn't possibly hope to meet. I don't think so, though. Maybe I wouldn't be quite so disappointed with it if I hadn't been first exposed to the masterpiece that is Good Night Gorilla, but even on its own I think that this book is simply not very good. A little bad, even.
What a delight! January 12, 2008
What a delightful discovery this is. The illustrations are the story, and they provide such clever humor to a simple idea. It is a joy for parents and grandparents to share this with small readers and non-readers alike.
Ten minutes till all is quiet December 22, 2007
This is a really fun book, and the highlight of it is the incredible detail in the illustrations. They really are packed with little things to find, which is great for me because my daughter can't read yet (she's three), so the pictures are the main thing she's interested in.
If you don't already have it, "Good Night Gorilla" from the same author also has the little things going on in the background, and is absolutely hilarious. That's important when you are on your fifth reading, or your fiftieth.
Good Night, Gorilla
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