Editorial Review
Four stories to read in the book!
Four new songs to sing on the CD inside the book!
You can enjoy Bed, Bed, Bed anytime and anywhere but it is especially good for bedtime, especially good to read out loud, and it's especially good to share.
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Customer Reviews
I don't get it 
2007-10-20
I'm a big TMBG fan. Have been since at least the late '80s. And after becoming an uncle and then, more recently, a father, I've enjoyed their foray into kids music. No! is a not only a pretty good kids CD, it's also a pretty good TMBG CD. "Four of Two" from No! is one of those great, quirky TMBG songs that both my oldest kid (almost 2 years old) and I love to sing along with and dance to.
But I just don't get this one. The songs are ok, but aren't particularly good by TMBG standards. They aren't particularly good "kids" songs, nor are they particularly good "bedtime" songs. These aren't lullabies that will help your kid settle down, rather they're upbeat songs that would be good to dance to with your kid in the middle of the day.
And there are only 4 of them, so you end up with 4 so-so songs. That's all.
Except for the book. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do with the book. Am I supposed to read along with the songs as they play? That's tough to do. Am I supposed to read the book as a stand-alone text for my kids? As a kid's book, the text of the songs isn't very good. It's like reading the liner lyrics of any random TMBG CD. Admittedly, most TMBG lyrics are offbeat enough to appeal to kids on some level, sort of like Dr. Seuss. But as a book, they lack a sort of flow that makes Dr. Seuss a joy to read with kids.
I never thought that I would apply the term "self-absorbed" to a TMBG project. But here it is - a random and (very!) brief project that John put together for his kid and then decided, "What the heck, let's put it out as a CD. And tie in a book."
We bought it for $1 at a yard sale. I was pretty psyched when I spotted it since even though it also has a CD, it was in the $1 "book" box. "What a mistake!," I thought as I grabbed it and handed it to my wife. After reading the book and listening to the CD, I now see why they didn't pay more attention to pricing it. I'm still pleased with the purchase, but only given the price that I paid.
Great Music! 
2007-02-22
This is wonderful way to wind down the day with your little ones. The music is quite enjoyable and touching.
Love the artwork 
2007-01-09
a fun and creative book and catchy music. I play the music a lot for my baby so we can "sing along" but the book is too delicate for her (9 months old) we'll use it later when she is older.
Good songs, but book is not very user-friendly 2006-04-22
I've been a They Might Be Giants fan for several years and I am about to become a teacher, so I have been perusing many children's books lately and decided to check out Bed Bed Bed.
I listened to the book with the CD and the thing that stuck out at me the most about this book was the pacing. "Impossible" is the longest song, but all its lyrics are crammed into two spreads. While listening, I found myself becoming bored looking at those pages so long. At that point, the book just seemed like a decorated lyrics page.
"Happy Doesn't Have to Have an Ending", though only 3 spreads (including the title page), was much better paced because of its fast tempo.
"Idlewild"'s three spreads were perfect, since it was a short song with few words.
However, "Bed Bed Bed" was a whopping 11 spreads long, even though its time length was just a bit shorter than "Impossible". I know it's the title song and should probably have more emphasis, but in this case, it meant that I had to flip through one line pages so quickly that I didn't even have time to glimpse at the pictures if I wanted to keep up with the song! I would have much rather had more images of the shape-shifting imaginary creatures in "Impossible" than individual pictures of kids doing things like brushing their teeth and sitting around.
I got this book thinking that it would potentially make a unique addition for a listening center in my classroom, but if I had such a hard time keeping up with the book, I imagine my students would be even more frustrated.
If only a few changes were made, this book would be much better, but for now, if I want a visual representation of They Might Be Giant's kid songs, I'll stick to Here Come the ABC's.
Nice to have, but not a must. 
2006-01-01
This book makes awkward reading, especially to a 4-year old who doesn't know TMBG. It's just song lyrics, which don't have much meaning to a child, and don't flow very well for reading. The CD makes it a little easier, because at least my son can look at the pictures, but it's still not ideal. I love TMBG, and I have for many years, so this book/CD is a nice addition to my collection. However, I bought it for my son, who listened to it for the first few weeks, but after that hasn't picked it up again.
Song with this book better than on "No" 2005-11-08
Four stories to read in the book!
Four new songs to sing on the CD inside the book!
You can enjoy Bed, Bed, Bed anytime and anywhere but it is especially good for bedtime, especially good to read out loud, and it's especially good to share.
Wonderful music and stories from TMBG 2005-07-27
I love the music on the cd and the intriguing art work in the accompanying book. My kids are big TMBG fans and I couldn't wait to get something new from the Johns. The songs are uplifting and again encourage kids to use their imagination and reach for their dreams. Idlewild is a beautiful lullaby that I enjoy hearing over and over myself. The only thing I did not enjoy as much was the different version of "Bed Bed Bed", but that may be because I like the original version so much. I would highly recommend this to any fans of TMBG with kids (or to the kids who are fans themselves).
CRUCIAL element of my 2-year-old's bedtime routine 2004-04-16
Here's the routine: jammies, brush and floss, Bed Bed Bed, lights out. Every night, like clockwork. In fact, the only way I can get her to stop fooling around with the toothbrush is to say, "Let's go listen to Bed, Bed, Bed!" And she hops down from her stool and runs on tiptoes to her room shouting "BED BED BED BED BED BED BED BED BED BED BED BED BED!" When I start the CD, she alternates between studying the pictures in the book very carefully and dancing wildly. She calms down a bit at Idylwild (her favorite song?), and at the end of the fourth song she says "Night night time" and curls up with her pillow and doll. THAT'S IT! Is that amazing or what! Yeah, I'm a TMBG fan, but this CD/book isn't about me and my interest in TMBG, it's not about being a great work of art, it's about the MIRACLE of getting my daughter to go to bed without a fuss.
Love it, oh . . . and my daughter likes it too. 2004-04-01
Many of us Giants fans are now introducing John's and John's genius to our children. Their new crop of kid friendly products is just what we need to bring our progeny into the fold. The CD has some "kiddy" versions of NO songs and some other ditties, all good. My daughter loves the book! It delivers as a bed time read. Just weird enough, just hypnotizing enough.
My TMBG kid... 2004-03-23
My 3 1/2 year old son LOVES this book and cd! We listen to the cd while following along with the book at least twice every night. And being a huge TMBG fan myself, I will never get tired of it. My son was initiated into the world of TMBG with "No!" so we HAD to have Bed Bed Bed when it came out. Thank you Johns!!!!!
