take ted instead

"Who's going to get ready for bed first tonight?"
"Micah!" (says Josh)

If you have kids, I'm sure you've seen this kind of exchange many times over. That classic volunteer-anybody-but-me tactic. Well, Take Ted Instead, a Kane Miller book written by Cassandra Webb and illustrated by Amanda Francey, addresses this sometimes frustrating tactic in a sweet, funny way that reminds you why, ultimately, you do still love your kids. ;)

The premise of this story is quite simple: it's bedtime, and a little boy is resisting, despite his mother's repeated statement, "it's time for bed, sleepyhead." Each time his mom says this line, the boy gives an excuse - "No, no, take Red instead." "No no, take Seb instead." "No, no, take Zed instead." And each time the boy's mom says her line, she finds this little boy somewhere new - inside a cupboard, under the dining room table, behind the curtains.

Eventually, the little boy tells his mom to take Ted, his giant teddy bear, instead. And here, the rhythm of the story breaks: "But Ted will be lonely, in a bed all on his own," says mom. This makes the little boy ponder until he finally dashes after his mom and Ted. 

This book is pretty great not only because it pokes fun at the daily struggles of getting a kid to bed, but because it works on so many levels... there's potential for engaging reader's theater as you mix up the intonations of both mom and kid repeating the same lines, there's clever non-verbal humor as you see the little boy (or just his hands or feet) poking out from his various hiding places, and there is strong reading development built in with the repetition of lines and rhyming words for everything the little boy suggests his mom "take instead". You'll love it, your kids will love it... and you might just get them to bed!

It's that book that pokes fun at the toddler quirks that seem so hard in the moment but are just one more reason you love that kid.

Book benefits:

• It's a timeless situation any parent (and kid!) can relate to
• The illustrations are sweet and detailed - great for making observations, counting, identifying common objects
• Illustrations offer non-verbal humor that adds a fun layer to the written story
• Repetitive phrasing and rhyming words make this book perfect for your beginning readers

​Buy Take Ted Instead here! (hardcover, $11.99)

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