“Nighty night. Sleep tight. Don’t let the bedbugs bite.” This familiar childhood refrain is the premise behind Bill Richardson’s lively picture book. The idea for the book began when callers to his CBC radio show reported their own family versions of the rhyme. Richardson’s own take on the tale begins with a little girl who isn’t quite ready for bed: when her father mentions bedbugs, her imagination is set loose and she begins battle with the bugs. Her father returns to tuck her in and, in continuing the refrain, conjures up new creatures for her restless imagination. Only at the end does he realize his mistake and banish all the monsters from her room.

The cartoon-like watercolour illustrations by artist Marc Mongeau are an amusing accompaniment to the tongue-in-cheek tale. Each page is imbued with a sense of fun and kid appeal that arise from distorted perspectives such as bugs driving cars as well as humorous touches. The little girl is drawn in a way that children might draw themselves (with a large head and small features). Washed in a yellowish-green haze – just like the illumination from the hall light – the pictures give off a mysterious eerie glow.

In acknowledging and dealing with childrens’ fears in a lightly humorous way, this book – from its zany rhyming couplets to its comical illustrations – will appeal to children.