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Jill Viuqpliy
 Notes to Parents and Teachers

Much o( the appeal of A Quie( bligfu In comes from its humorous yet accurate portrayal of family

life. It therefore serves as an ideal story to read to children as a heginning to discussions ahout life

in their own families.

C hildren learn to re. id — and to love books — when adults share their own pleasure in reading and Ian-
are a few suggestions for giving the children in your life a lasting love of reading:

S RROUND CHILDREN WITH BOOKS AND WRITING. Visit your library regularly, and make buying new
books a Frequent treat. Put cloth and board books in the baby's playpen and keep one or two books in

the car for older children. Show children that words are everywhere — not just on the
pages ol a book, bur also on cereal boxes, billboards, and street signs.

Ri \D \LOi D. Read to your children every day. Read because children will associate the pleasure and
intimacy of the reading experience with books.

M ki R] UMNG AN ACTIVE EXPERIENCE. Use the books you've read as a jumping-off point for other
discussions with children.
VI

00
— This book can be grouped with others on families,
o_ bedtime, and birthdays and celebrations.
'
..

—
•

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THIS CANDLEWICK BOOK BELONGS TO:
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Copyright i 1993 by Jill Murphy

All rights reserved.

Iim U S. paperback edition 1996

The Library of Congress bos cataloged die hardcover edition as follows :

Murphy. Jill.

A quiet night in /Jill Murphy. — 1st.

Summary: Mi. mid Mrs l arge's attempt to put tin- children to bed early and
have 11 quiet night on their own has on unexpected ending.
ISBN 1-SM02-248-X
|l Elephants Fiction. 2. Bedtime Fiction.] 1 Tide
1'/: M9534Qu 1994
jl| dc20 93-875

ISMN 1-56402-673-6 (paper)

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Printed in I long Kong

I lu pu tuns in tins hook w ui done in i olorcd pencil.

( andlewii k Press
Mossui huscttt A\ i inn
( ambt idgi . Massac husetts l
h Quiet Night /fl

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Candi ewick Press
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Cambridgi Massachi setts
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4

1 want you all in bed early tonight,"

said Mrs. Large. "It's Daddy's birthday,
and we're going to have a quiet night in."

"Can we be there too?" asked Laura.

''No," said Mrs. Large. "It wouldn't be

quiet with the gang of you all charging

around like a herd of elephants."

'But we are a herd of elephants," said Lester

'Smarty-pants," said Mrs. Large. "Come on

now, coats on. It's time for school."
\»m
 _ A

That evening, Mrs. Large had

the children bathed and in their

pajamas before they had even had

their dinner. They were all very cranky.

'It's only four-thirty," said Lester.

"It's not even dark yet."

c

It soon will be," said Mrs. Large grimly.

After their baths, the children started

making place cards and decorations for the

dinner table. Then they all cleaned up.

Then Mrs. Large cleaned up again.

 Mr. Large arrived home looking very tired.

'We're all going to bed," said Lester.

"So you can be quiet," said Laura.

'Without us," said Luke.

"Shhhh," said the baby.

'Happy birthday," said Mrs. Large. "Come and see the table."

Mr. Large sank heavily into the sofa. "It's lovely, dear,"

lie said, "but do you think we could have our dinner on trays
in front of the TV? Tin feeling a little tired."
"Of course," said Mrs. Large. "It's your birthday.

You can have whatever you want."

"We'll help," said Luke.

The children ran to the kitchen and brought two trays,

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I'll set them," said Mrs. Large. "We don't want

everything ending up on the floor."
 ^\
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"Can we have a story before we
go to bed?" asked Luke.
"Please," said Lester.
kk 99
(Jo on, Dad," said Laura. "Just one.

"Story!" said the baby.

"Oh, all right," said Mr. Large.

"Just one, then."

Lester chose a book, and they all

cuddled up on the sofa.

 1

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Mr. Large opened the book and began to read:

"One day Binky Bus drove out of the big garage.

'Hello!' he called to his friend, Micky Milktruck —

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I don't like that one," said Laura. "It's a boy's story."

M ook," said Mr. Large, "if you're going to argue about it,

you can all go straight to bed without any story."

So they sat and listened while Mr. Large read to them.

After a while he stopped.

"Go on, Daddy," said Luke.

"What happened after he

bumped into Garry Garbagetruck?"
"Did they have a fight?" asked Lester.

'Look," said Laura. "Daddy's asleep."

"Shhhh!" said the baby.

 Mrs. Large laughed. "Poor Daddy," she said.

"Never mind, we'll let him snooze a little longer

while I take you all up to bed."

'Will you just finish the story, Mom?" asked Lester.

l

Wc don't know what happens in the end," said Luke

"Please/' said Laura.

"Story!" said the baby.

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"Move over then," said Mrs. Large. She picked up

the book and began to read: '

'Watch where
you're going, you silly Garbagetruck!' said Binky.
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Just then, Patty the Police Car came driving by . .
 After a while, Mrs. Large stopped reading.

'What's that strange noise?" asked Lester.

'Its Mommy snoring," said Luke. "Daddy's snoring too."

"They must be very tired," said Laura, kindly.

"Shhhh!" said the baby.

The children crept from the sofa and got a blanket.
They covered Mr. and Mrs. Large and tucked them in.

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'We'd better put ourselves to bed,"
said Lester. "Come on."

"Should we take the food up with us?"

asked Luke. "It is on trays."

"It's a pity to waste it," said Laura.

Tin sure they wouldn't mind. Anyway,

they wanted a quiet night in."

"Shhhh!" said the baby.

 r

^^

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 Jn i MURPHY began writing and illustrating chidren's books when
she was twenty-seven years old. Her first story about the ebullient

Large family, Five Minutes' Peace, received the Parents Magazine Best Books for Babies
Award, and was declared "painfully runny" by The New York Times Book Review. She is

also the author of The Worst Witch at Sea and Jeffrey Strangeways, both novels for
middle-grade readers; and The' Last NoO'Noo, a picture book. She dedicates A Quiet
fu In, the fourth Large family story, to exhausted parents everywhere.
'This book is one from the heart," she says.
 If one of your child's favorites, why not buy
this paperback is

another copy or a hardback edition to put safely aside as a keepsake?

Your child and your child's children will thank you!
 When you're looking for children's books,
.ook i
!
the bear. it's your guarantee of quality.

tenia
"In this fourth story about the Large family, it is Mr. Large's birthday,
.\nd the plan is for the elephant children to go to bed early so the parents can
have a quiet adult celebration. Ha!" — The New York Times Book Review

"Another hilarious chapter in the elephant family's chronicles,

this is a definite winner Not to be missed." School Library Journal
. . .

•
"A fetching tale tor tired parents everywhere." Smithsonian magazine
•
"Murphy's pictures have the same affectionate feel for

children's daily lives as her text." Booklist

•
"Brimming with droll particulars, Murphy's . . . renditions of the
family's antics arc as spirited as ever." Publishers Weekly
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