COLE, Steve (text) Bruce Ingham (illus.) Go to Sleep or I Let Loose the Leopard Random House, 2014 unpaged NZ$19.99 pbk ISBN 9781780080628
For those parents who would like to hire a three-day nanny because of the chaos of rambunctious children, be warned that there are other techniques that are politically-speaking, less correct. It’s Joe and Ellie’s bedtime but they refuse to go to bed as they needed to fight mattress-monsters as well as wrestle wild wardrobes! Yee-Hoooo. Bang! The new babysitter has to go upstairs for the twenty-seventh time and is very cross. Joe and Ellie go to bed, the babysitter retreats and for ten whole seconds, there is quietness. But pirates abound and the babysitter returns. What is she to do? A series of seemingly bizarre threats are progressively revealed in the story and the children (being natural realists) don’t fall into line. However, when they hear the clunk of lock in the door and roar of a long, low growl, the children are much more uncertain. Suddenly the rambunctious children are confronted with the truth. What is it?? If a book can be a form of release, then I suspect that this picture book should be gift from the midwife for all new parents. Pure fun. Watch out kids, you might not want to believe it (and parents, don’t show them the last page). Recommended.
reviewed by John McKenzie