A gentle voice urges her onward, to face her fears and challenge the obstacles that seek to hold her back.Child, you are awake! You are alive! You are a bright star, Inside our hearts.

    “Ten small toes all washed and warm,” begins the story, and then young readers journey toward tuck-in time, counting down along with the story’s African-American father and daughter.In the satisfying conclusion, one little sleepyhead settles in for the night. An award-winning classic, Ten, Nine, Eight has been comforting and delighting children and their parents for more than thirty years.“This beguiling picture book, with a palette of eye-filling colors, appears to arise naturally from the love binding a father and his little ‘big’ girl who turn bedtime into playtime with a rhyming game.”—Publishers Weekly

    Each spread tells of an event and the lesson learned. By turns, these events become darker and more sinister as the boys push their games further and further.