William Wakes Up

Linda Ashman is the author of William's Winter Nap, a companion to William Wakes Up. Her more than thirty picture books have earned numerous honors and starred reviews, and have been included in the "Best of the Year" lists in the New York Times; Parenting, Child, and Cookie magazines; Bank Street College of Education; and the New York Public Library. She has taught a variety of workshops on writing for children and is the author of The Nuts and Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, a "how to" handbook. Linda lives with her family in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. Visit her online at www.lindaashman.com.

Chuck Groenink (www.chuckgroenink.com) hails from an overgrown village among the peat bogs in the north of the Netherlands, where he spent his formative years climbing trees, drawing, reading, and cycling. He attended the Artez Institute of Visual Arts in Kampen, graduating from the department of illustration in 2004. He lives in Hudson, New York with his wife and two cats.

William and his animal friends have had the whole winter to nap. Now it's time for them to wake up and welcome a very special guest. There's lots to do to get ready, from scrubbing the floors to decorating the house to baking a tasty treat. But it's so hard to leave a cozy bed. . . . Will everyone get up in time to do their part?

This book's gentle rhymes and humorous illustrations full of signs of spring will make it a little easier to wait for the first warm days of the season.

PreS-Gr 1—A silly and joyful celebration of spring and friendship. It's finally spring, and although William is up and ready to move, his four animal friends are feeling a little more lethargic. One by one, and with much coaxing and pleading from William, they slowly roll out of bed and join the preparation, until finally, just one friend remains. With not much time remaining before their special guest arrives, the other animals are feeling slightly miffed at raccoon's reluctance to help out. Will they be ready for their special guest? And will they share the fruits of their labor with their one reluctant companion? Warm, delicate pencil illustrations are a perfect complement to the sweet rhyming text. The repeating refrain and the animal countdown add much appeal to this as a group read-aloud choice. Reminiscent of the "Little Red Hen," this is a great book to encourage helping and sharing or for any child who isn't feeling quite ready to emerge into a bright new spring. VERDICT Purchase for fans of the author's William's Winter Nap or pair it with any one of the "Bear" books by Karma Wilson for a fun and raucous storytime.—Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library

PRAISE FOR WILLIAM'S WINTER NAP

*"Ashman's meticulously crafted rhymes are a delight to read, and the page turns build gently tension (who's at the door now?) Groenink makes the cabin look eminently cozy. . .And his forest creatures--who yawn in unison with William each time they try to get some shut-eye--are as adorable as it gets."--Publishers Weekly (starred review)

PRAISE FOR WILLIAM'S WINTER NAP

*"Beautifully paced, rhymed, and cadenced . . . The text reads aloud well, with natural places for kids to join in . . . a subdued palate of deep blues, grays, and tawny browns . . creates a strong sense of the setting and the appealing characters. Just right for reading aloud on cold, wintry nights." --Booklist (starred review)

PRAISE FOR WILLIAM'S WINTER NAP

"It won't take listeners long to chime in on this repeated refrain . . . Groenink's illustrations deftly juxtapose the warm light of the cabin with the darkness outside, and his characters are expressive; few readers will be able to stifle their own yawns."--Kirkus Reviews