The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House (The Nuts, 1) by Eric Litwin

The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House (The Nuts, 1) Reviews

• 
  Lily

  We met Eric today and he read/sung this adorable book. He got the kids moving and singing. My girls loved him. I can't wait to get a copy of The Nuts. Eric is so groovy!!!
• 
  Brenda Kahn

  I was lucky enough to be at a Little Brown preview at Midwinter, where the special, secret guest was Eric Litwin, who sang/ read this deliciously delightful bedtime book to us. Arcs were available at the Fall Preview yesterday and I gleefully grabbed one to revisit. This is sure to be a story time favorite and a noisy one at that, as nearly every page invites participation of the dancing/ yelling sort. The digitally produced art is humorous, cartoonish and energetic. Scattered throughout the scenes of bedtime mayhem are funny items that play on the word, 'nut,' such as a bowling alley called the Nut Bowl - Open Late, or the ball pit labeled, dipped nuts. Not to mention the main characters names - Hazel Nut and Wally Nut. Definite must-purchase!
• 
  Jana

  Cute story about a couple of youngsters who would rather play and sing instead of going to bed. Mother starts off gently reminding them that it's time for bed, but Hazel and Wally aren't listening. Finally Mother has to be more direct. The illustrations are hilarious, including Wally's "nut butt" on page 10. It would pair nicely with "Power Down, Little Robot" by Anna Staniszewski. It also has a sweet, loving message: So Big Mama Nut, said, 'No matter what, you will always be my sweet little Nuts."
  
  There's also a nice lullaby: "Good night, little Nut, good night.
  Good night, little Nut, good night.
  I love you the way you are.
  You're my nutty shining star.
  Good night, little Nut, good night."
  
  You can download the free song and lullaby, and have a nutty sing-along at TheNutFamily.com
• 
  Dimitrios

  Finally got to the library in the new city we now live in, so we can resume reading new books at bed time. I like stories like this one. Stories that are fun and convey a message kids identify with. This one was about kids getting pretty wound up at bed time and Mama getting angry because they would not listen. This scenario had just played out before we read the story (with me in the Mama role). Anger is a tricky emotion, for kids and parents. I'm glad the book emphasized you can be angry AND love someone.
• 
  Megan Knippenberg

  Cute, punny book with vivid illustrations. I like that you can download the voice recording to put a melody to the song parts. My son is a little to young to appreciate it yet, as he can't make the connection between the audio recording and the book itself. =)
• 
  SB

  The Nuts are my new favorite. I flipping love their rhyming stories that are hilarious! My 4 yo and I love to sing their "refrains," too. Eric Litwin is a genius at writing/singing with kids! Love this series!
  
• 
  Benji Martin

  Yes. Thank you Mr. Litwin.
• 
  Michele Knott

  I enjoyed the story but loved it combined with the video of Eric Litwin performing it with a group of children.
• 
  Erin

  3.5 stars. I love that Eric Litwin is back with another series and I love that it includes the songs like Pete the Cat, but I'm going to mention something that just drives ME nuts. And this issue also appears in Litwin's Pete books.
  
  Why is it that whenever the song has a song with a phrase repeated 4 times, the text/word bubbles in the book only show it 3 times? It is so frustrating to use the audio track or to sing the same tune and words as the song when using this book for storytime with preschoolers. I am trying to teach print awareness, but where did this other line of text come from, it's not on the page. If they try to read the book along with the audio track following the words with their finger, where do they go?
  
  It may seem insignificant, but it really annoys me. Other than that I think Litwin's books are great.
• 
  Cindy Dobrez

  And what is bedtime like at YOUR house? If you have little ones, or have raised little ones, or read picture books to little ones, you are going to want this nutty bedtime book. I would start a half hour before bedtime with the music (link to the book trailer and song and a longer review is in our Bookends blog post here:
  
  
  http://www.thebooklistreader.com/2014...
  
  After you've danced and sung to the song you can snuggle in for reading time and enjoy the zany illustrations. There are plenty of puns for adults to chuckle at too (as Mama nut gets louder and more frustrated at trying to get the little nuts to bed, an arrow pointing at mama’s now-red cheeks says “Roasted Chestnut.”
  
  Big bedtime fun with song and adorable illustrations.
• 
  Erika Bichet

  The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House was a very interesting yet fun read. My future students would love this book as a read aloud in my future classroom. It has bright illustrations, and the words are in a singing tune. It also is about the battle of not wanting to go to bed, they would be learning the importance of listening to their parent(s) when it is time to go to bed or do as they are told. They would be learning this, while still enjoying the book.
  
  
  Description: It's bedtime at the Nut House, but little Wally and Hazel Nut aren't ready to go to sleep.
  "We're Nuts! We're Nuts! We're Nuts!" Why go to bed when you could be singing and howling at the moon? But Mama Nut insists... "All little Nuts need to go up to bed!" Who will win this bedtime tug-of-war?
• 
  Dusty

  Eric Litwin writes books that are fun to read aloud. Like his Pete the Cat books, Bedtime at the Nuthouse is structured like a song with bits of story interspersed with a chorus. My son loves how Mama Nut's voice grows gradually louder, and often after we've finished the book he opens it back up to the "red page," where Mama shouts "All little nuts need to go up to bed!" for the final time. As an adult reader, I appreciate the bright illustrations with their silly nut-related puns (for one example, there's a poster in the kids' room for the band Nutvana/Nirvana). However, I think the pictures are a little busy (and the puns too remote) for my three-year-old.
• 
  Susan

  Nutsy little children all pumped up at bedtime not listening to their Mama? Imagine that. The Pete the Cat guy has returned with another fabulous offering. I love this Mama who uses THE VOICE. I love her patience to exasperation to reassurance, very realistic. I love the buoyant funny little kids who don't mean to get Mama mad, they are just full of beans (if nuts can be full of beans...). A lot of families will see themselves in this lighthearted bedtime story and kids will be reassured by the loving message at the end.
• 
  Sara Grochowski

  It's bedtime at the Nut house, but Wally and Hazel Nut just aren't ready to go to sleep! Instead, they ignore Mama and keep playing and singing their song: 'We're Nuts! We're Nuts! We're Nuts!' It's only after lots of warnings and Mama finally giving them THE LOOK that these two little Nuts settle down for bed. THE NUTS: BEDTIME AT THE NUT HOUSE is another funny read aloud from Eric Litwin that is sure to have kids singing and laughing along.
• 
  Sadie Devin

  This book uses bright colored illustrations as well as different kinds of text. This book has regular narrative text as well as conversation bubbles and noises. This would be great for students to buddy read with someone or to read alone so they can focus on the illustrations and the order of the text and conversation bubbles. This can help students connect sounds to spelled out words and what they look like in the picture.
• 
  Pam Page

  Eric Litwin just knows how to have fun! Another great book with repetition, rhyme, and silly characters. Yet this is also sweet with Mama Nut saying, "No matter what, you will always be my sweet little Nuts." Be sure to see the live performance of Litwin sharing this book with children:
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wrsDn...
• 
  Melissa

  The first time I read this (to myself) it was a meh. But then I read it to the kids...36 times and it's grown on me. I was a little annoyed with recycled Pete the Cat lines -- they kept singing their tune...did they stop, goodness no...blah blah. The kids think its hilarious (there is a screaming mother, kids who won't go to bed and a "nut butt"-- so it's all very familiar to us.)
• 
  Jill

  Funny representation of a familiar battle--bedtime. I would have given it 5 stars, but I didn't like that there is never any interaction with the kids from Papa Nut, even though he's pictured on one of the first pages. I do like the bonus lullaby at the end, encouraging parents to sing to their kids. And they can download the song & lullaby so they don't have to make up the tune themselves.
• 
  Judy Garrett

  Eric Lutwin has done it again!
  
  I thought the Pete the Cat books were my favorite books. However, now that I have read The Nuts: Bedtime at the Nut House, I have a new favorite. I teach kindergarteners and the rhythm, rhymes and repetition Eric Lutwin uses is a powerful way to get young children to love books.
• 
  Margaux

  I'm just about dying right now.
  Here's a video for this adorable book that includes a suggested melody a la
  Eric Litwin's classic style. A fun little jaunt for when your storytime kids need a break.
• 
  Kathleen

  I can't give a single good reason about why I didn't really care for this book. It just didn't click for me at that time. I can still say it's worth reading, and for kids of a certain age and a certain instinct for silliness it will be loads of fun. There are jokes and puns and a warm loving family. It just didn't work for me.
• 
  Ma Rie

  We got to hear Mr. Eric read/sing/perform his new book at our local library last week. The book is amazing.....so much fun!! Love the characters. Cannot wait for the book to be released next month and for the rest to follow! So much fun!!
• 
  pati

  I know children learn by repetition but this book is really annoying (similar to Pete the Cat books.) This is a zero stars book, it is that annoying. I didn't finish the book because the artwork is just as annoying as the text.
• 
  Heidi-Marie

  Uh... I expected a bit more from Litwin, because I love his other works so much. Some of the humor was more of a "really?" And the ending wasn't quite to my taste for my own reasons. Wouldn't mind hearing the song at some point. Has its place, just not quite Pete the Cat.
• 
  Katie

  I was annoyed with the family roles. Papa Nut just sits around and Mama Nut continues to raise her voice and get angry at the kids because they won't get ready for bed.
  
  Lots of nut-themed puns, if you like that kind of thing. It's just no Pete the Cat.
  
  
• 
  Samantha

  THIS BOOK IS HYSTERICAL.
  The Nut kids (Hazel and Wally) don't want to go to bed, but Momma Nut insists that they do. The kids are crazy, the illustrations are vivid and funny, and the rhythm of the book is perfect. LOVE IT.