Every mom has at some point wished she could take a three-year nap. I have not even been a mom for three full years yet, and I know this. Every mom has also at some point wished her child would do a little more around the house. For those with infants: come on, you know you’ve wished your child didn’t fill up diapers quite so fast!
Several times over the past week Max and I have read The Boy of the Three Year Nap written by Dianne Snyder and illustrated by Allen Say. This book has so much going for it! The illustrations are gorgeous, the twist is excellent, and the lesson is perfect.Some of the honors this book has deservedly won include Caldecott Honor Book (1989), ALA Notable Children’s Book (1988), and Boston Globe/Horn Book Award (1988).
I confess buying this book explicitly to diversify our bookshelves. Ever since I saw this infographic on Facebook:
I have wanted to make sure that Max’s shelves are much more balanced. When I combed through our shelves, I saw that we have about twice as many books with solely Caucasian characters as we have with characters of other ethnic backgrounds. (I also found that we have just as many books with non-human characters as we do multi-ethnic books.)
The Boy of the Three Year Nap is perfect for this purpose. The story revolves around Taro, the boy who would rather sleep than help his poor widowed mother with anything, and how he secures the future of his family. Say shows the architecture, the clothing, the food, and even the attitudes of the people in this Japanese village through his illustrations. Even better, the folktale that is the plot by Snyder shows the priorities of the Japanese people and helps readers understand the culture on a deeper level.
Because of the storytelling, the illustrations, and the way both together open our eyes to another culture, The Boy of the Three Year Nap deserves 5 snacks:
Snacks for Max 
I remember reading this book in elementary school! The illustrations are stunning.
Kudos to you for working to diversify your bookshelves!
Thanks for visiting, Katie!
Oh Jaymie, this looks fabulous. You really have a wonderfully diverse bookshelf, really, honestly, I am going to pay more attention now. Thanks for a great book recommendation. I love anything with a Japanese flavour. Thanks for hosting the hope again.
Thanks, Julie 🙂 I’m excited to hop around after work!
Fascinating – I hadn’t seen the infographic before. The book sounds fab 🙂 Happy hopping!
Thanks, Jemima, you too!
It sounds like an adorable book with an important lesson as well!
Absolutely! Thanks for hopping 🙂
I have heard so much about this book and now your review here too! Can’t wait to give it a read thanks for the reminder Jaymie! I think reading diversity is necessary and I make an effort to look for books like these and read them at school as well.
-Reshama @Stackingbooks.com
Good for you! Thanks for visiting 😉
Looks wonderful – must pin it! (Meanwhile I’d have loved just a three hour nap this past week when I caught one of the bugs)
Oh sickness yech. Hope you’re feeling better!
I teach and this week I feel that I need a three year nap:)
I love the lessons this book teaches! A must have for children!
I believe it! Thanks for visiting 🙂
Great book. I love your review. Need to get a copy for the grands. I love your review icon (snacks) LOL. 🙂
Hi Mary! I found it at Half Price Books. Thanks for the love!
Great infographic and an important reminder of the biases we have. I’m sure we are guilty of this as well in our bookshelf – although like you, there sure are a lot of books about animals too! Thank you for this great recommendation! I find that when we do read books about a different culture, it really opens up a great discussion with our kids. The INTEREST is definitely there! Thanks so much for joining us as hostess on the Kid Lit Blog Hop once again! 🙂
I agree! Thanks for the kind words, Renee 🙂