Image taken from: amazon.co.uk
I came across The Goodnight Gecko in Hanalei while on holiday on the island of Kauai. Playing chicken with the baggage allowance meant that I didn't bring a copy back, but luckily I was able to order a copy through Amazon Marketplace when I got back.
The book, by Gill McBurnett is a 'bedtime story from Hawaii' and tells the story of a little gecko who, unlike the rest of his gecko family, doesn't want to go out at night. He tells his mother that he'd much rather be out in the day when he can pick flowers and go swimming. After pointing out that flower arranging and aquatic adventures are not often hobbies pursued by gecko, his mother sets out to show him all the wonders of night time in Hawaii. Its a simple tale, with sections of rhyme and prose, and gently guides the reader towards a peaceful bedtime.
I read this to my one year old, who listened intently and enjoyed looking at the pictures, and I'm sure that this will be a bed time request for many years to come for both Mummy and Little Bit. It will certainly bring back fond memories of a much enjoyed holiday in which we enjoyed a lot of lizard spotting! I can imagine that this would also be a great book for children uncertain about things that go bump in the dark of night, although mine is currently too small for that.
This book is an A4 sized hardback. The back cover contains a selection of facts about gecko and inside is 31 pages of bright illustrations, of which my favourite is the tropical birds nesting in the trees, although the snorkeling gecko comes a close, and adorable, second.
If you can locate a copy of this book, it makes a great addition to the bedtime repetoire and I'm sure will be a beloved bedtime story for the under 5s.
If you would like more information or to find a copy, the Amazon page for this book is: The Goodnight Gecko
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