A lovely bedtime story, that has several layers of discussion, as well a cute story line.
Feature image credit: Penguin Books Australia
Aura Parker is an Australian illustrator, writer and designer. She is best known for Meerkat Splash but has written several picture books for young children including Twig and Bowerbird Blues. Her illustrations are always full of colour with lots of clever detail.
Goodnight Glow Worms, her latest book, was originally published in 2020 but is now out in board book format for the little ones. Not much bigger than the size of an adult’s hand, it is perfect for very young children to hold and delight in.
With a purple cover, it shows five colourful glow-worms lying next to each other ready for bed. We can probably already tell which ones may cause the most problems!
This book is perfect for any young child. There are so many things to think about and discuss throughout the story: learning the different colours and pointing to the correct glow worm; things to do before bed, like cleaning your teeth; what comforting things you can take to bed with you, like a teddy, blankie, book, or toy; how to count to three, or five if counting the glow worms; talking about verbs (doing words) like winking, thinking, blinking, twinkling; and lastly, trying to find the lost blankie. Many books for very young children only concentrate on one small thing, but this book clearly does not. A parent need not do all the talking each time it is read. Different things to search for can be introduced each night.
There are so many layers to this very simple story and even a slightly older sibling will want to discover things in the illustrations. The facial expressions on each of the baby glow worms are fabulous. Children could also talk about the feelings that each one represents.
Aura Parker is able to create little characters with her illustrations who seem very real, and adorable, telling as much of the story as the text. Goodnight, Glow Worms is a lovely book which would be perfect as a gift for a newborn or a very young child.
For fans, there is also available online a Goodnight, Glow Worms activity pack.
Reviewed by Sue Mauger
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Penguin Books Australia
Released: May 2025
RRP: $14.99
More News
