Press Release

Media Outlets: Please feel free to use this release. Contact Ted for more fun info. Thanks!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Middlebury, VT – Whenever 10, 2022

Some books put you right to sleep. “Night-night, Body”, the new children’s picture book by children’s poet Ted Scheu and illustrator Pete Gergely (due out in mid-April 2022) is one of them. But not for the reasons you’d think. Au contraire, polar bear.



 

When you think of kid’s going-to-bed books, what comes to mind? Maybe Margaret Wise Brown‘s 1947 (yikes!) classic, “Goodnight Moon,” among others. This new picture book collaboration from Scheu and Gergely is lyrically and visually way-way lovelier than “Goodnight Moon,” and way more effective at bringing smiles and yawns to those who are reading it aloud—either to themselves, or to their kid-audiences, as the noted reviewers below attest. “Night-night, Body” promises to be a favorite to keep on a bedside table, until its charming pages are well worn.

Here's what just a few sleep experts are saying about the book:

“Ted and Pete are brilliant. This book knocked me out. My best sleep in years!”
- Prof. Timmy T. Ticklesnoozer, PhD., Snooze U.

“My kids and I were well on our way to dreamland by the final beautiful page. I can think of no sleepier praise for this book.”

- Dr. Petunia P. Pipplesnore, Editor, “The Snore Report”

“Kids will really hate this book. Parents, not so much. Sleep is nearly instantaneous by the end…”

- Snoozanna S. Somnolent, President, Sleepyheads Anonymous


Inspired by his need for a sleep aid for himself, Scheu, children’s poet and teacher from Middlebury, Vermont, patterned the story on a meditative technique he had learned years ago—that of moving slowly up from your toes to your tippy top, tensing and relaxing muscles and giving them permission to ‘turn off’ for the night.



 

With his lyrical, spare, rhyming couplets, Scheu does the same in his book, with a support of Gergely‘s utterly bright and delightful watercolor illustrations. An additional visual treat that Gergely contributed is a multicultural bonus—each page or spread is set in a different part of the globe, from Japan, over to India, from Botswana up to Egypt, from France north to Norway, down all the way to Rio, and up to several US and Canadian locations in between. Each page depicts kids ‘signing off’ for the night, always under the watchful eyes of their doting caregivers and pets. Oh, and on a colorful map and key at the back of the book and on the book’s website, (www.nightnightbody.com) readers can learn more about these far-flung global sleepers and their ‘night-night’ habits. The book’s website will also feature links to sleep tips and advice for parents, and text-extending activities for teachers and parents.



 

The backgrounds and professions of these two long-time college friends adds to the flavor of the story behind the book. Scheu is a well-traveled ex-naval officer, advertising copywriter, and Vermont elementary teacher who has over two dozen children’s poetry publishing credits to his name, both in his own six collections and in prominent anthologies world-wide. When he’s not writing, traveling, or enjoying his New England-based family, and the inspiring landscape of Vermont, Scheu travels to elementary schools around the globe (he is often introduced at schools as an 8-year old stuck in a grown-up’s body) helping kids like himself find their own writers’ voices with poetry.



Gergely, for his part, is a multi-talented, multi-lingual, renaissance guy, who paints for fun—that is when he’s not tending to his extraordinary garden and friends, and also tending to a very busy practice as the most-loved pediatrician in the Hudson River Valley, in New York. It’s true that kids love-love-love to visit Dr. Gergely for their check-ups and even for their shots. His gentle, childlike sense of humor, and genuine care for each child (oh, and his M&M rewards help, too) almost always leaves them smiling.

Both men share a deep and abiding love for and ability to connect with kids, and kids know it. This new collaboration of theirs reflects that care. Ted and Pete are excited to share their sleepy book with the world!

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Contact:
Ted Scheu
ted@poetryguy.com
PO Box 564
Middlebury, VT 05753
C: 802-989-8726

A scintillating interview text with Ted is available too, with more info! Just ask! (It's right here on the website, in fact.

Publishing details:

“Night-night, Body,” Beaver’s Pond Press, St. Paul, MN, 2022. Available through www.itascabooks.com and amazon.com. Pub date: 4/19/22



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Psst... wait, there’s more...

 

Some Glowing Legit Reviews:

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"A sweet and beautifully illustrated book. I so wish I could write a blurb that was equal to its charm. Watch for this book to fly off the shelves." - J. Patrick Lewis, the dean of children's poetry

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“With a gentle poem to lull the body to sleep and dreamlike illustrations, Night-night Body is a picture book meant to wind children down for bed… a soothing bedtime tale parents and children alike are sure to appreciate.”   Blue Ink Reviews, 2022

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“Mesmerizing and sweet, the picture book Night-night, Body sends each body part off to sleep in rhyming and communal form.” – Forward Clarion Reviews, 2022

And here are just two more kid-reviews of “Night-night, Body”:

“I hate this book! When I want to stay up late, it sends me right to sleep! No fair! Pete and Ted are the worst!”

- Danny Getz-Drowsee, 3rd Grader, New York City, NY (the city that never sleeps!)

“I love this book! It shuts my noisy-nosy little brother right up so I can Instagram my friends all night. “Night-night, Body” is totally soporific!” (I learned that last word in Language Arts class today!)

- Nevah Getz-Drowsee, Grade 7. (Danny’s sister.) NYC, NY