TIME FOR BED de FOX, Mem - 1993

Harcourt, 1993. 1st Edition 1st Printing. Hardcover. As New/As New. Jane Dyer color illus. CONDITION: UNREAD, but not quite perfect, 1993 Harcourt large hardcover (pictorial boards) and dust jacket (in mylar cover), first edition, appears to be first printing. Soft, beautiful color illustrations by Jane Dyer. Problem: blank bookplate on the decorated end pages; small scuffing bottom edges near spine. CONTENT: Charming illustrations and comfortable rhymes characterize this appealing bedtime book. A twilight mood is set by dusky endpapers sprinkled with twinkling yellow stars, and by a title page showing a mother reading to a child. Double-page spreads feature animal pairs, each with a parent settling its offspring down for the night. An orange tabby kitten receives a soothing bath, a sleepy blue bird is tucked into a warm nest, and a delicate fawn curls up against its mother. Each babe is lulled by a gently rhyming couplet beginning with the phrase, "It's time for bed." Dyer's watercolor illustrations are dear. Large, clearly drawn animals are placed against backgrounds of vivid hues. A variety of landscapes keeps each scene looking fresh as a foal settles down in a moonlit meadow, a pair of fish blow bubbles in blue water, and two snakes curl up in overgrown grass. Working beautifully with the soothingly repetitive text, each painting conveys a warm feeling of safety and affection.