Bedtime at the Swamp

Splish splash
rumba-rumba
bim bam boom!

It's bedtime at the swamp—except somebody's not ready. Somebody's still splashing in the water and the mud.

Is there a monster on the loose?

Kristyn Crow has taken every child's worst nightmare and transformed it into a frolic through swampland. With funny illustrations and a catchy refrain, this story won't scare little monster too much before bedtime.

Children's Literature

A boy and his dog are sittin' by a swamp just hummin' a tune with the fireflies dancin' neath the fat gold moon, when off in the distance was a splashin' sound, so I stood on my tippy-toes and looked around. I heard Splish splash, rumba-rumba, bim bam boom! A monster is after them so they run up a willow tree and peer down. There is the boy's little sister telling him to come, cause Ma says it's time for bed. The boy warns his sister about the monster, which starts splishin' and splashin' again. The sister runs up the tree. Their older brother appears to call them home and he ends up running up the tree when they hear the monster rumba-rumbaing again. Next come the family's two cousins, who also end up in the tree. The tree is beginning to sag with all the extra weight it is carrying. When the crew hears the monster bim bam booming toward them, they're sure to die. But just as he's about get them, splish splash, rumba-rumba, bim bam boom! echoes through the swamp. Who can this be? Even the monster is scared. Then out of the darkness stomped my dear ol' MA! She burst through the cattails and she cried, Ah-HA! I've been trying to get you children home to bed and I find you a-hidin' in this tree instead.' The kids and the monster are happy to follow her home for baths and bed. This is a cute story with nice rhyming all the way through and the illustrations join in the fun. I especially liked the monster. Reviewer: Sarah Maury Swan