I read Liam Heneghan’s Beasts at Bedtime, sometime ago. The book discusses the need for increased environmental literacy and about environmental wisdom in children’s literature and highlights how critical the environmental issues are. I was fascinated by this book after I read about the author, somewhere that ”On the surface we encounter a scientist, teacher and father; but in the depths we meet a child, animal, and sprite.”

Beasts at Bedtime is also like an encyclopedia – this means one can read it in any order and whenever convenient. This book is suitable for use as a textbook in various disciplines- environmental studies, English, psychology etc. There is not only an in-depth analysis of many children’s books such as Winnie the Pooh and Peter Rabbit, but the author also demonstrates how to build a love of nature and of reading with young people. There are many scientific reasons and references and examples. The author explains the connections between environmental science and everyday life.

Beasts at Bedtime is an awakening to the vital environmental education children’s stories can provide—from the misadventures of The Runaway Bunny to tales like The Lorax. Heneghan serves as our guide, drawing upon his own adolescent and parental experiences, as well as his travels in multiple regions. Organized into thematic sections, the work winds its way through literary forests, colorful characters, and global environments.

Other literary critical gems include chapters on Where the Wild Things Are, Robinson Crusoe, Calvin and Hobbes. As an environmental activist, I was particularly impressed by Heneghan’s main point about the reduced environmental literacy among adults. The author advices on how to engage with children’s literature as a form of both education and entertainment. He also provides a lot of encouragement for adults to continue to educate themselves. There is no better way to cultivate attachment to the natural world than through telling stories. When we read stories to our children we also train them to become storytellers.  And training them to become storytellers is a way of helping them to influence their culture, their socio-political sphere, and their environment.

Beasts at Bedtime is similar to a biblical commentary. Keep this book close by and delve into it whenever you need a fresh perspective on your relationship to the environment.