COLORADO BOOK AWARD FOR CHILDREN'S LITERATURE, 2005
"From the moment our mischievous narrator wakes up, we are swept along with his creative imagination. In dramatic rhymed couplets, he describes his hair-raising adventures. Our hero is a vivacious, adorable, tousled-haired lad in orange pajamas who finds what we 'giants' consider mischief to be the way adventures happen. We want to join the fun."
Children's Literature
"Though he doesn't retreat so far into the Id as Max in his wolf suit, here's a lad who wakes surrounded by live zoo animals (plush, in the pictures), tiptoes past sleeping "giants" and rappels down a stepped "mountain" to get to the kitchen, confronts a voracious, sucking monster in the utility closet, then goes on to further adventures indoors and out before one of those "giants" snags him for a bath, a cuddle, and a nap. Ashman captures the non-stop action in rollicking rhyme. Even children well aware of the pleasures of Pretend will trail along admiringly in the wake of this very young Indiana Jones." Kirkus Reviews
"An inventive child's 'typical' morning routine will intrigue youngsters while generating giggles. The rhyming, circular story never misses a beat and introduces some challenging action words. Full-page watercolor illustrations humorously depict the boy's tireless energy and sense of whimsy. Well suited for storytime, this spirited tale will stimulate imaginations and encourage make-believe play." School Library Journal
"Ashman's tongue-in-cheek picture book portrays the ordinary world through the eyes of a rambunctious youngster. As his parents sleep, a boy in red pajamas wakes up surrounded by stuffed animals and imagines that the bars of his bedstead belong to a cage in the zoo. He tiptoes past his parents' room and imagines himself confronting various dangers: a vacuum cleaner becomes a monster, a garden hose transforms into a 'spitting snake,' his backyard swimming pool a tidal wave. Although the boy narrates his own adventures, the illustrations clue the audience in without diminishing the make-believe fun. When the giant forces the boy to drink a 'magic sleeping punch,' and he awakens inside the zoo/bedroom, the end of the book hints at the start of another adventure." Publishers Weekly
