Ira Sleeps Over

I recommended this book first because as a public school Library Media Specialist for over thirty years it was my perfect go-to read-a-loud. 

It is funny and filled with human interest and emotion. But what I like best about it is the timing. I like to write funny books and I know timing in humor is one of the most important attributes. This book hits it dead-on.

Adding to the wonderful timing is the pagination. Having published a few funny picture books myself I know how important the page-turner is for children.

The author Banard Weber will open a situation… show more.

I discovered this book at a library storytime when I was five. The kids were invited to wear their pajamas, making it feel just like a sleepover! I was the perfect age for this story, as I had just made my first best friend in my kindergarten class and was starting to do sleepovers for the very first time. Revisiting this story as an adult, I'm struck by how well it captures the intensity of what should be a very simple decision: bring a teddy bear to a sleepover or not. The author understands how high the stakes are in… show more.

A lighthearted take on the embarrassment a child feels when they want to bring their comfort stuffed animal to a sleepover. There’s a taunting older sibling, and a happy ending, of course, when Ira discovers that his friend has a favorite stuffed animal too. Bernard Warber combines recognizable and universal emotion with humor.