When the World Is Ready for Bed

By Gillian Shields and Anna Currey

A family of rabbits go through their end-of-day routine, from having their tea to brushing their teeth, sharing a story and being tucked up in bed, until they peek out of the window and see something that's a change from their usual routine in this classic picture book.

With delectable art and warm, lyrical text, this is a thoroughly modern picture book with strong echoes of books such as The Velveteen Rabbit and the works of Beatrix Potter.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
• Release date: Dec 17, 2013
• ISBN: 9781619631137

Gillian Shields

Gillian Shields is the author of Immortal, Betrayal, and Eternal, the first books about the sisterhood of the Mystic Way, as well as many other books for young readers. She spent her childhood roaming over the Yorkshire moors and dreaming of the Brontë sisters. After studying in Cambridge, London, and Paris, she became a teacher. She has taught in a girls' boarding school and also in a drama school where it was rumored that the ghost of a young girl could be heard crying in the night. Gillian was inspired to write this series in celebration of the power of first love, the strength of female friendship, and the haunting mystery of the past.

Book preview

Reviews for When the World Is Ready for Bed

[dangerlibearian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wonderfully gorgeous and sweet book about little rabbits going to bed and their bedtime routine. Awesome night time book but not for storytime.

[shelf3employed · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A little bunny slowly gets ready for bed with the help of his family, "Let's talk about The things you've done - All the laughter, All the fun. Brush your teeth And comb your hair. Fold your clothes Upon the chair."Soft watercolor illustrations depict a loving family - sharing stories, cleaning up, settling down. A warm and cozy book for bedtime with a promise of a bright tomorrow.

[abigailadams26 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This gentle bedtime book, with its rhyming text and luminous watercolor illustrations, is sure to be a winner with very young children and the adults responsible for getting them to sleep. "When the world / Is ready for bed, / The sky grows dark, / The sun glows red" it begins, following the evening activities of a family of rabbits. From steaming cups of soup around the dinner table, to the ritual of kisses, hugs and prayers that precede climbing into bed, the little rabbits are surrounded by love every step of the way...Anna Currey's endearing illustrations, which depict a world of warmth and light, are the ideal accompaniment to Gillian Shield's sweet narrative. The reassuring final passage: "Today has nearly / Slipped away; / Tomorrow brings / Another day. / Always lovely, / Always new, / Tomorrow's waiting / Just for you" offers the perfect conclusion to this lovely tale.