Yawn .... Review .... Yawn .... Yawn

I am one of those people who yawn even when I see an animal or stranger yawn.  I can even react to photographs of people yawning.  Even as I write this post, I stifle a yawn.  I read that yawning when you see someone else yawn is actually a sign of empathy.  Because of this, I was instantly drawn to the front cover of the board book Yawn by Sally Symes.  The front cover is bright and bold and I think would also draw in the intended audiences of toddlers.

The story begins, like the front cover with toddler, Sean yawning widely.  To demonstrate the large yawn, there is a deep hole in the center of the page.  It’s one of those books that begs you to find out what’s next, and how the story continues to use this deep hole.  The story is set in rhyme and  shows that toddler Sean has passed the yawn to an animal friend, who continues to pass the yawn on and on.  The last page of the book is perfect showing all the friends together finally succumbing to that much needed nap.

I really enjoyed this book with its bold illustrations and turnable pages.  I think toddlers will enjoy the connection between all of these animals too.  The story lends itself to little ones guessing the next animal as they read.  The story also turns out to be a kind of night time book, showing all of the sleepy friends.  At our house we are always looking for more bedtime tales.  I would recommend this book for parents with tots who like to read bedtime stories.  I can’t wait to read it with my Lil Guy tonight.