10 Minutes to Bedtime by Peggy Rathman

This book is incredibly fun. My kids have loved it for years. The words are mere backdrops to the illustrations. The fabulous illustrations. There is so much to look at on each page!

Peggy Rathman is also the author/illustrator of Officer Buckle and Gloria (1996 Caldecott Medal Winner) and Goodnight Gorilla, both of which are referenced in the pictures. Like a sleeping Officer Buckle and Gloria on top of the computer.

And isn't a hamster using a computer adorable?

The basic gist of the story is an oblivious father counting down the minutes to bedtime to his son. Somehow he is completely unaware of a large herd of hamsters coming to their house for the 10 Minute Bedtime Tour.

The hamster tourists arrive at 1 Hoppin Place and the tour begins. 

The boy is naturally delighted!

Let's talk about the boy's hair here. And his fuzzy green slippers. Aren't both super? I love his straight up hair. 

The hamster tourist taking a picture of an ant!! 

Everything is an event with an entourage of hamsters.

Have  you noticed that annoying little hamster that is always trying to kick something at the head of the tour director? Bratty little rich kid on vacation. 

The boy settles the hamsters down for a good story. Just as headlights can be seen approaching the house. 

And a large contingent of hamsters comes in for a quick tour. How cool is that double decker hamster bus? And that Quaker Oat bus? 

Did you notice the zookeeper from Goodnight Gorilla in the background? I love little details like that!

The boy gets back to what he was doing, but with a much larger audience. 

With only three minutes to go, the hamsters decide book reading is way too tame and head off for more exotic locales.

Such as the bathroom.

The kids love this little potty training hamster.

A hamster beach! SO much awesomeness going on!

Oopsie!

Hurry, hurry!

They all head back to his room for some more shenanigans. The poor boy is getting sleepier and sleepier. But the hamsters are clearly too self involved to notice.

This can be yelled as loud as you please. Which delights Gilbert (6 yr.) to no end.

And with that, they pull their act together and head out. 

Taking a few souvenirs with them--toilet paper and fuzzy green slippers. 

A goodnight kiss from Daddy. 

Some of the hamsters decided to take up residence. So they settle in for the night, knitting, reading, pasting pictures in their scrapbook.... I love the tour director, who you can just see the back of over here on the right with the soccer ball caught in his megaphone. Ha! He showed you, annoying little kicker hamster!