![]() ![]() I would very much enjoy seeing an entire line of Little Groot books and look forward to more work by this writer/illustrator duo. This actually gives the parents the option to read only the narrator’s voice, if using it as a bedtime story, or to read both, which makes it clearly comical. The corresponding voice of Little Rocket is energetic and full of action words. The voice of the narrator is rhythmic and gentle and certainly reminds one of traditional bed time books. One of the most interesting aspects of the book is that there are really two stories running consecutively. The illustrations by Cale Atkinson are bright and dynamic and will keep children engaged in the story. Night, Night, Groot by Brendan Deenan is a wonderful way for parents to share some of their favorite Guardians of the Galaxy characters in an age-appropriate way. Or do they? Perhaps it is just a dream Groot is having… They fight bad guys and fly rocket ships with their grown-up friends Thor, Hulk, and Gamora. But wait! Little Rocket seems to have other plans! Instead of sleeping, he drags Groot out for another adventure. Night, Night, Groot by Brendan Deenan is a wonderful way for parents to share some of their favorite Guardians of the Galaxy characters in an age-appropriate way. While Rocket and Groot might have the biggest heads and eyes and the smallest, cutest bodies, all of the heroes have stripped-down designs, their usually-busy, live-action costumes looking as abstracted as possible, and they are all smiley and happy looking, never so much as on the penultimate two-page-spread, wherein all of the assembled heroes from the previous pages (plus a few appearing for the first time) toss Groot and Rocket up in the air, as if the pair had just won the big game for their team.It’s bedtime in outer space and Little Groot is ready to be tucked into his flowerpot. No X-Men or Fantastic Four characters this is clearly for Marvel Cinematic Universe fans!Ītkinson’s artwork is nothing short of darling. In addition to the heroes who have already appeared in films, there are a few other, more obscure ones who haven’t, or, at least, haven’t yet, like Captain Marvel, Moon Knight, Nova, She-Hulk, and Red Hulk. These are mostly those from the Marvel Cinematic Universe, clearly identifiable as such based on the specific costumes they are shown wearing, which match up with their movie rather than comics attire. None of them are named, but then, neither are any of the many heroes who appear. They rush through an Avengers training session and attack a ship full of bad guys, mostly very generic ones with green skin, green uniforms, dastardly mustaches and mustache icons on their helmets-although these foot soldiers are sprinkled with some various Marvel Comics villains, none of whom have appeared in any of the films and all of whom should be considered fairly deep cuts (Baron Blood, Mentallo, The High Evolutionary, Rocket Racer…no relation to Rocket Raccoon). An alarmed Rocket appears, waving his hands and shouting, “Wait! Groot!! Don’t go to sleep yet!!!” and, taking him by the arm/branch, he rushes Groot out of his bedroom on their ship into a series of full-page illustrations, each guest-starring the various superstars of the Marvel superhero universe. “Night night, Groot, it’s time for bed,” Deneen’s text begins, “Time to rest your sleepy head.” Such simple sentences, presented in rhyming couplets, continue throughout the book’s 30 pages. Writer Brendan Deneen’s picture book Night Night, Groot is just such a story, the premise being that little Groot is settling down for the night in his pot, but his rambunctious friend Rocket isn’t about to let his fellow Guardian go to sleep without a fight…or, to be more exact, lots of fights. Because giant tree monster Groot was re-cast as a sapling at the end of the first Guardians of The Galaxy movie, he is now the toddler-sized Baby Groot for this spring’s sequel, which makes him the perfect age to be the audience for-and subject of-a bed-time story. ![]()
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