No more room in the bed! by Deborah Abela and Marina Verola

I was reminded of the old rhyme,’Ten in the bed…’ as I began this book, but found that it is a story so different and funny that I was laughing out loud from the second page.

One dark and stormy night a whole host of animals want to join dad in his bed. At first the boy, startled by the booming, crashing noise outside, asks dad to join him in bed. Roaring, thumping noises cause the dog to run in, followed by the cat, then a family of rabbits. Each page gives another group of wonderfully descriptive words about the storm outside, while the animals have a group word describing their numbers. Once the dozen or so rabbits join the family in the bed, the sizzling noise outside prompts the horse to come inside. Monstrously large shadows cross the bed as a herd of moose asks to be accepted. A troupe of ballerinas pirouettes into the bedroom, followed by a school of piranhas.

By now kids will be laughing uproariously as the bed fills with this odd range of occupants.

Bright, vivacious illustrations fill every page, showing an increasingly overloaded bed, with a range of animals tucking in under the covers. I love the expression on their faces as each new group appears, and the next supplicant, a whale, causes a whole host of eyes to widen. Just when you think nothing more outlandish could appear, a spaceship crash lands, caused by the storm still raging outside. The aliens ask to come in as well. Again the illustrations are very funny, paralleling and complementing the text and its range of stormy words. But all good things must come to an end and the bed splits in two. Dad calls a halt to any further additions, and bids farewell to the occupants of his bed. But with them all gone, the storm is still going on, making him feel alone and uneasy. He shuffles out to the lounge where he finds all those who had been in his bed, keeping warm by the fire. He joins them, and is served treats by the aliens.

The group tells jokes and stories for the rest of the night, not noticing the passing of the storm.

Fun from start to finish, kids will love joining in with the refrain listing the guests as they get into dad’s bed. They will eagerly turn the page to see what new thing is asking for shelter, and laugh at the aliens, ballerinas, piranhas and the whale. They will learn a whole lot of synonyms describing the storm, and the names given for groups. The illustrations are hugely funny, and will evince much laughter from the audience when the story is read out loud, a treat for reader and listeners.

Themes: Storms, Animals, Synonyms, Fear, Humour, Read aloud.

Fran Knight