Parents and kids looking for a break from the ordinary will appreciate this imaginative collection of stories and songs from quirk-rock kings They Might Be Giants. Fresh on the heels of their highly successful children's record No!, Bed, Bed, Bed features four brief stories written by the Giants and illustrated with surreal panache by Marcel Dzama along with a CD featuring all four stories in song version. "Impossible" explores the possibility of turning into fantastical animals like Octofish and Octofee or growing violet hair that flows down the stairs. Kids will find the silly animals and warped reality delightful and will love singer John Linnell's spacey conspiratorial tone. "Happy Doesn’t Have to Have an Ending" tells the story of a hippie kitten "on a secret mission to make a valentine for everyone on earth," who wants everyone to dance and be happy. "Idlewild" slows things down with a softer, sleepier beat and a story about a dreamy trip to the carnival. But the Giants save the best story for last; "Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed" is a well-reasoned and catchy argument for slumber. "I did so many things today, there’s nothing left to do", sings guest vocalist Kimya Dawson (in a slower, different version than the one on "No!"). While the story features familiar bedtime milestones, Dzama’s illustrations lend the proceedings a compellingly skewed vision in which kids eat three meals in the company of bears and go to bed accompanied by their pet octopus and a tuxedoed rabbit. While the lyrics flow nicely in the songs, they can sometimes be a bit clunky on the page. But even then, the stories and Dzama’s illustrations are more imaginative and memorable than most children’s books today. --John Moe


Book Description
Four stories to read in the book! Four new songs to sing on the CD inside the book! You can enjoy Bed, Bed, Bed anytime and anywhere but it is especially good for bedtime, especially good to read out loud, and it's especially good to share.


About the Author
They Might Be Giants are John Linnell and John Flansburg. They became friends in Massachusetts when they were kids. They started They Might Be Giants in Brooklyn, New York, where they have a phone machine called Dial-A-Song that plays their songs. They won a Grammy for their song, "Boss of Me," the theme for Malcolm in the Middle. They recently released an album called No! for the whole family. Bed, Bed, Bed is their very first book.

FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
They Might Be Giants venture into the land of books, and the result is one big success. Following the release of No!, their first CD for kids, Giants John Flansburgh and John Linnell found a new audience among their steadfast followers of alt-rock mommies and daddies, and this charming picture book is another extension of their creativity.The illustrated collection of four original songs includes a CD for easy listening and features the illustrations of artist Marcel Dzama. Dzama's images encapsulate the general whimsy of the book in soft hues of red and brown that hark back to the days of the 1950s. Clean white backdrops provide the space for the characters -- two young children, a tuxedo-clad rabbit and a tangerine octopus, to name a few -- to become the stars.

The first song/chapter questions the concept of "Impossible," with imagination taking the front seat. Want to be an "octofish"? "Though it happens quite impossibly, the impossible turns out to be possibly." While a silly song at first glance, this is a fine example of showing youngsters it's okay to dream big. After all, these are the Giants we are talking about. "Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending" stars a longhaired hippie kitten, a love-crazed bundle of fur who believes in good times and dancing all night. These first two songs are a bit lively to be deemed "bedtime" music, but they do inspire smiles and silliness, which is always good fodder for sweet dreams. By contrast, "Idlewild" is a wistful song, with lyrics and illustrations that paint a lovely picture of a day at the carnival. But the big hit here is "Bed, Bed, Bed," an inspired lullaby that follows all the big events of one child's day, from reading to brushing teeth to practicing the guitar. But now, she croons, "I've had my fun, I've stretched and yawned and all is said and done, I'm going to Bed. Bed. Bed. Bed. Bed." A different version of this song appears on the CD -- in lieu of the slow pace and soothing female voice featured here is a more chaotic appeal to the ending of the day with rockin' riffs, funky jazz licks, and mooing cows. We prefer the more tranquil version to lull little ones into slumber, but one thing is clear: They Might Be Giants have surpassed the realm of indie music gods and triumphed in the kids' world with a guitar in their arms, love in their heart, and an octofish by their side. Amy Barkat

ANNOTATION

An illustrated collection of four original songs, with accompanying CD, "sequenced ... to help parents and kids find their way to slumberland."

FROM THE PUBLISHER

Get your pajamas on, it's time for bed...
BED, BED, BED

Four stories to read in the book! Four new songs to sing on the CD inside the book! You can enjoy Bed, Bed, Bed anytime and anywhere but it is especially good for bedtime, especially good to read out loud, and it's especially good to share.

About the authors and illustrator:

They Might Be Giants are John Linnell and John Flansburgh. They became friends in Massachusetts when they were kids. They started They Might Be Giants in Brooklyn, New York, where they have a phone machine called Dial-A-Song that plays their songs. They won a Grammy for their song "Boss of Me," the theme for Malcolm in the Middle. They have also released an album called No! for the whole family. Bed, Bed, Bed is their very first book.

Marcel Dzama is an artist from Winnipeg, Manitoba, in Canada. His artwork has been seen in art galleries all over the world, as well as in McSweeney's Quarterly Concern. This is his very first children's book.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The Grammy-winning alternative rock/pop duo of John Linnell and John Flansburgh, better known as They Might Be Giants, released its first children's music album last year, and now continues to stretch its wings with this picture-book adaptation of four of its songs. The text/lyrics fittingly dance across the pages, divided into four vignettes. With their dreamy quality, "Impossible" ("Though it happens quite impossibly,/ the impossible turns out to be/ possibly") and "Idlewild" may prime bedtime imaginations. Though it works well with the musical accompaniment, the catchy number "Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending," about a "long-haired hippie kitten" that cuts a rug, is less successful as a stand-alone verse than its three companion songs. And the title track/story makes a fine tucking-in tune-cum-read-aloud. Throughout, the diminutive book features spare and delicate ink-and-watercolor paintings with a limited palette of moss green, brown, red and gray. And youngsters will likely take a shine to the boy, girl and various fantastic and humorous creatures that cavort from scene to scene. Paired with an equally small and delicate typeface, these compositions suggest a child's book of yesteryear. All ages. (Nov.) Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Children's Literature - Joan Kindig, Ph.D.