In the playfully self-referential picture book The Greatest Bedtime Story Ever by author/illustrator Jessie Sima (Not Quite Narwhal; Harriet Gets Carried Away), a friendly yet prideful elf describes to readers how they crafted a literary masterpiece.
The elf greets readers before the title page: "I have just the tale for you." It all begins "on an evening stroll" in search of a perfect spot to compose a story. However, "inspiration [is] nowhere to be found." When a sound escapes from a cave, they wander among "damp, twisting tunnels" to find the source. There, the elf stumbles upon a very sleepy dragon who says there are only two ways he can doze off: "a little bedtime snack" or "THE GREATEST BEDTIME STORY EVER." The elf (not interested in becoming a snack) writes a "hilarious... profoundly moving... informative... dazzling" and "suspenseful" tale. When the dragon drifts off, the elf sneaks out--only to realize they left the book behind. The decision to save the manuscript seals their fate, partially evidenced by a wordless double-page spread of the dragon's gaping, toothy maw.
The elf--surrounded by darkness--periodically interrupts their narration to boast about the story being told. Their dramatic hubris is farcical, and repeated references to "THE GREATEST BEDTIME STORY EVER" add to the absurdity. Sima uses saturated purple hues to evoke a cavernous darkness and luminous golds to add emphasis and humor. The digitally created illustrations hint at the story's conclusion, such as the inclusion of tiny skulls and bones around the dragon's nest. Sima deftly develops a nuanced yet accessible adventure in which the child-coded dragon holds the power and young readers are in on the joke. --Kieran Slattery, freelance reviewer, teacher, co-creator of Gender Inclusive Classrooms