JUNE/JULY 2025
You’ve Been
“One Morning in Mained”
by Judy Newman
I grew up just outside Boston, where we held our heroes close: Carl Yastrzemski, Bobby Orr, Jo Jo White, Pete Seeger (who used to play in the living room of my friend, Julie Myers’ house)—and Robert McCloskey. His books—Make Way for Ducklings, Blueberries for Sal, Homer Price, One Morning in Maine—were staples on our family bookshelf.
Although McCloskey was born in Ohio and spent much of his life in Maine, his beloved picture book Make Way for Ducklings, set in the Boston Public Garden, put him squarely in our local pantheon. We read it constantly: the story of Mr. and Mrs. Mallard and their ducklings—Jack, Kack, Lack, Mack, Nack, Ouack, Pack, and Quack—searching for a home among the swan boats.
McCloskey’s books were published decades ago, but they hold up beautifully. There’s a quietness, a timeless quality, that makes them perfect for reading aloud—even to the small children in my family, born generations after the original publication dates.
In my professional life, I talk every day about the power of books, the importance of reading, and the role of literacy in shaping opportunities for all children. One of the things I recommend most often to families and caregivers is a nightly reading ritual. Shutting off screens, getting cozy, and reading a book before bedtime is proven to enhance sleep health and strengthen emotional bonds between children and caregivers.
Studies show that children who engage in consistent bedtime reading fall asleep faster and sleep more soundly. In fact, a 2023 study published in the journal Sleep Health found that just 15 minutes of book reading before bed reduced time to fall asleep by up to 28 percent in children ages 3 to 7.
So, I feel a little guilty admitting that when Sophie Rae, my four-and-a-half-year-old soul mate and granddaughter, brings out One Morning in Maine as the third book to read at bedtime, I groan a little inside.
Our bedtime routine is set: three picture books, Sophie’s choice. The first two change night to night—Millie Fleur’s Poison Garden, a Pete the Cat story, Goodnight Hairiette, The Kissing Hand, or something brand-new. But the third pick? Without fail, it’s One Morning in Maine.
The story of six-year-old Sal, her first lost tooth, and clam digging with her father is quiet and lovely, like all of McCloskey’s work. But it is long! At 64 pages, One Morning in Maine is nearly double the length of a typical picture book, which averages between 32 and 40 pages. That’s a lot to ask of a sleepy adult—especially after two other bedtime reads.
I sheepishly admitted to my daughter, Sophie’s mom, that I sometimes don’t have the stamina to take on One Morning in Maine at 7:45 p.m., and she laughed. Apparently, this is Sophie’s go-to strategy with all unsuspecting bedtime readers. She knows perfectly well that Robert McCloskey’s long and peaceful story of a family living on an island in Maine will prolong bedtime—and bedtime reading—as long as possible.
And it turns out she’s not alone.
A 2021 survey from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine found that 62 percent of children aged 4 to 6 will deliberately choose longer stories or ask more questions at bedtime to delay sleep.
I really can’t argue with her approach.
We now call it being “One Morning in Mained”—a bedtime ambush in the sweetest possible form.
Judy •
Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer, Scholastic