A rainy Sunday afternoon is the perfect time to share one my family’s favorite picture books, The Napping House. Written by Audrey Wood and illustrated by Don Wood in 1984, The Napping House earned many awards. It was a top selection in our house at nap time, bedtime, or any old time we wanted a laugh. The story begins very simply and quietly, then builds by repetition, until finally exploding with hilarious pictures accompanied by small phrases as the house where everyone is sleeping is now fully awake. We read our copy so often it has pages that had to be taped because of tearing during the crazy parts at the end. I do not believe it was a gift from my mom because she always writes a dated message on the top of the inside cover page. However I recall Grammie reading this book very often on her visits. Here is a little fun I had today with my own version on this storybook,  it is “Our Napping House.” You’ll have to use your imagination for the illustrations (sorry).

There is a house, a napping house, where everyone is sleeping.
And in that house there is a sofa, a well worn sofa, in a napping house where everyone is sleeping.
And on that sofa there is a mama bear, an exhausted mama bear, on a well worn sofa, in a napping house where everyone is sleeping.
And below that mama bear, there is a puppy, a pooped out puppy, below an exhausted mama bear, on a well worn sofa, in a napping house where everyone is sleeping.
And next to that puppy, is another puppy, a sprawled out puppy, next to a pooped out puppy, below an exhausted mama bear, on a well worn sofa, in a napping house where everyone is sleeping.
And near those puppies, there is a cat, a curled up cat, near a sprawled out puppy, next to a pooped out puppy, below an exhausted mama bear, on a well worn sofa, in a napping house where everyone is sleeping.
And on the stairs there is a sound…
Can it be? Footsteps coming, heard by the cat, the curled up cat, near a sprawled out puppy, next to a pooped out puppy, below an exhausted mama bear, on a well worn sofa, in a napping house where everyone is sleeping.
The incoming visitor startles the cat, who hisses at the puppy, who tackles the other puppy, who jumps up at the mama bear, who falls off of the sofa,
in the napping house where no one now is sleeping.