Bed, Bed, Bed (They Might Be Giants) [ハードカバー]

変わり者ロックユニット、ゼイ・マイト・ビー・ジャイアンツが贈る想像力豊かな物語と歌の数々。日常から抜け出したいと思っている親子なら、きっと気に入るはずだ。子ども向けCD『No!』の大ヒットの余韻もさめやらぬなか届けられた本書『Bed, Bed, Bed』は、ジャイアンツによる4編の短い物語に、マルセル・ドザマのシュールで装飾的なイラストが添えられている。さらに、4つの物語すべてを歌にして収録したCD付きだ。「Impossible」は、「オクトフィッシュ（Octofish）」や「オクトフィー（Octofee）」といった奇怪な動物に変身したり、長く伸ばした紫色の髪が階段から流れ落ちたりする空想を描いた物語。 不思議な動物たちや奇妙にねじれた現実世界に、子どもたちは大喜びするはずだ。ジョン・リンネルの超現実的でなぞめいた歌声にも夢中になりそう。「Happy Doesn’t Have to Have an Ending」は、「地球上のすべての人にバレンタインの贈り物をする使命を帯びた」ヒッピーの子猫の物語。みんながダンスをして幸せになればいい、と子猫は願う。優しく眠気を誘うビートでスローダウンする「Idlewild」は、夢の中でカーニバルを訪れる物語。しかし最後の物語こそ、ジャイアンツの真骨頂だ。「Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed」は眠りがテーマの物語で、考え抜かれた、かつキャッチーな仕上がり。「今日はいろんなことをした、もうやることは残ってない」とゲストボーカルのキムヤ・ドーソンが歌う（『No!』収録のものとは異なる、スローなバージョンになっている）。物語自体はなじみ深いベッドタイムの出来事をテーマにしているが、ドザマのイラストが魅惑的にゆがんだ情景を本書に与えている。子どもたちはクマと一緒に3度の食事をとり、ペットのタコやタキシードを着たウサギとともに眠りにつく。歌の中ではなめらかに流れる歌詞も、活字になると多少ぎこちない。とはいえ、本書の物語とドザマのイラストほど想像力あふれる児童書は、いまだかつて例を見ない。いつまでも記憶に残るであろう1冊だ。（John Moe, Amazon.com）

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.

Parents and kids looking for a break from the ordinary will appreciate this imaginative collection of stories and songs from quirk-rock kings They Might Be Giants. Fresh on the heels of their highly successful children's record No!, Bed, Bed, Bed features four brief stories written by the Giants and illustrated with surreal panache by Marcel Dzama along with a CD featuring all four stories in song version. "Impossible" explores the possibility of turning into fantastical animals like Octofish and Octofee or growing violet hair that flows down the stairs. Kids will find the silly animals and warped reality delightful and will love singer John Linnell's spacey conspiratorial tone. "Happy Doesnt Have to Have an Ending" tells the story of a hippie kitten "on a secret mission to make a valentine for everyone on earth," who wants everyone to dance and be happy. "Idlewild" slows things down with a softer, sleepier beat and a story about a dreamy trip to the carnival. But the Giants save the best story for last; "Bed Bed Bed Bed Bed" is a well-reasoned and catchy argument for slumber. "I did so many things today, theres nothing left to do", sings guest vocalist Kimya Dawson (in a slower, different version than the one on "No!"). While the story features familiar bedtime milestones, Dzamas illustrations lend the proceedings a compellingly skewed vision in which kids eat three meals in the company of bears and go to bed accompanied by their pet octopus and a tuxedoed rabbit. While the lyrics flow nicely in the songs, they can sometimes be a bit clunky on the page. But even then, the stories and Dzamas illustrations are more imaginative and memorable than most childrens books today. --John Moe

They Might Be Giants (aka "TMBG") is an American alternative music group from Brooklyn, NY. The group was founded by John Flansburgh and John Linnell, who released their first album in 1986. Throughout their 25+ year career, the band has racked up several charting albums and singles, as well as two Grammy awards--one in 2002 for their song "Boss Of Me", (the theme song for Malcolm in the Middle) and the other in 2009 for their children's album Here Come The 123s. They continue to record alternative albums while branching out into the realm of children's music, and have sold over 4 million records in total.