Hold Paws, Little Otters

Splosh says he's not tired and cannonballs into the river, so Pebble turns bedtime into an expedition: first the warm bath, then the toothbrush, then goodnight to the river and Grandpa Shellby from the window. In bed, Splosh worries he might float away in his dreams, until Mama tells him what otters do: they hold paws while they sleep, so nobody drifts away. (Real sea otters really do!)

Bedtime routine
Feeling safe
Family

Talk about it together

For grown-ups, after the story.

The lesson: A bedtime routine, one stop after another, helps your body get ready for sleep. Holding the paw of someone who loves you helps you feel safe.

What were the three stops on the bedtime expedition?
Whose hand do you like to hold when you're falling asleep?

Try this tonight

A gentle part of the bedtime routine.

Your bedtime expedition

Draw a little map of your child's bedtime with three or four stops: bath, teeth, pyjamas, story. Tick off each stop like an explorer. At the end, hold paws and whisper Splosh's sleepy catchphrase: "Ready... steady... snooooze."