#MMBBR #Review Chester Raccoon and the Almost Perfect Sleepover by Audrey Penn

Are we almost there?” Chester Raccoon asked his mother.

Chester is excited about going to his very first sleepover. After his mother drops him off at Pepper Opossum’s house with a Kissing Hand in his palm, Chester and his animal friends have a long day of playing games and eating snacks. But when the animals decide to bed down, Chester can’t go to sleep.

While his Kissing Hand has kept him from getting scared, he isn’t in his own bedroom, and he misses his family. When Chester returns home, Mrs. Raccoon welcomes her little cub and reassures him that his home is always there when he needs it.

Young readers will enjoy reading about the party fun and take comfort when Chester finds himself in a situation they can relate to.

Picture Book | Ages 3 – 7

Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-939100-11-5 | 32 pages | $16.95

This story is sheer heart and love.  My son still cannot sleep at friend's houses because he gets home sick, so we could all relate to Chester's problem.  I love all of Penn's books and I am a super fan of hers because she captures what children feel in such a unique and creative way.  She allows children to feel normal when they go though social situations and have struggles.  Chester and his group of pals are understanding and supportive and his family is loving and caring,  You cannot help but fall in love with the characters because the pictures are beautiful. and the stories are those we can all relate to.  The illustrations are bright in color, the characters have such expressive faces and there is rich and detailed scenery which allow the reader to get lost in the pages of the book.  All of Penn's books allow parents to have great dialogue about how things, like sleepovers, make kids feel.  It allows kids and parents to talk though the emotions in a safe and healthy way, making a child feel OK about their fears and feelings.  I am such a fan of this entire series and this book is another HUGE hit!!!  A must have book for your child's home library!  

I started my first career as a ballerina dancing with the National Ballet, New York City Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, and the Danny Diamond Dance Theatre. I also served as alignist and choreographer for the U.S Figure Skating Team in preparation for the Pan American Games (1973), and for the 1976 Olympic Gymnastics team. In 1980 I became too ill with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis (JRA) to continue dancing. Because I had done a lot of children’s theatre and children’s dance, and I have always enjoyed children’s literature, I turned to writing children’s books for my creative outlet.

But my writing career actually began much earlier than 1980. When I was a young girl, I had two older brothers who took great joy in teasing me.

When I was in the fourth grade, I began keeping journals of the silly things they would say and do. Then I began adding things my pets did. Finally, I began to write down everything I saw and heard every day.

Check out Audrey's website HERE

Buy the book HERE