Peace at Last by Jill Murphy

"The hour was late.

Mr Bear was tired,

Mrs Bear was tired

and

Baby Bear was tired ..."

Unfortunately, it is just too noisy for Mr Bear and he simply cannot fall asleep because Mrs Bear is snoring. He tries Baby Bear's room, but Baby Bear is pretending to be an aeroplane. In the living room the clock is ticking and then it goes cuckoo, cuckoo. In the kitchen there is a dripping tap and the hum of the refrigerator. Poor Mr Bear - he heads out to the garage but it is nearly morning and a whole host of other noises disturb him. Will he ever get any sleep?

This book is a fantastic one to read aloud to your youngest reading companion or young library group or in a preschool. Our library had a big book version of this book which was terrific because everyone in the group could see all the details in the illustrations.

The 45th Anniversary Edition of Peace at Last was published this year in 2025. There is an audio version of this book read by Anna Maxwell Martin (sorry I couldn't find a sample to share here). There are also lots of videos of this book but I suggest reading the actual print version before looking for a video. 

Bookseller blurb for the 45th Anniversary edition: Celebrate 45 years of Jill Murphy's bestselling classic Peace at Last with this special, shiny anniversary edition, including never-before-seen bonus material. An all-time favourite bedtime story, it has delighted generations of young readers, and is cherished by tired parents and carers, all too familiar with the plight of poor Mr Bear. Now with a shiny foil cover and bonus content! Enjoy sharing this enduring classic with loved ones and delve into the never-before-seen extra content showing Jill Murphy's process in creating Peace at Last. From early drafts to the final book, discover the magic of how a picture book is brought to life! With a snoring Mrs Bear, an excitable Baby Bear and a house full of tapping and dripping and ticking, peace is hard to come by - will Mr Bear ever get a decent night's sleep? The familiar noises, repetition and beautiful illustrations make this much-loved picture book the perfect story to read together.

I used to spend a long time talking about the very first page. 

What time of day is it? How do you know? Have you noticed the moon and the stars and the owl? Why did Jill Murphy add these to her illustration?

Why is the cat shaded white on one side?

What might be happening behind that one window where the lights are on?

Where do you think the bedrooms might be in this house? How does that possibly relate to the story?

What are those orange squares on the grass?

Jill Murphy is one of the UK’s most treasured author-illustrators and was the creator of many bestselling books for children, including the Bear Family picture books Peace at Last, Whatever Next! and Just One of Those Days which together have sold over four million copies worldwide. Born and raised in London, Jill spent her childhood writing and illustrating stories. She left school at sixteen and attended Chelsea, Croydon and Camberwell Schools of Art, writing her first novel, The Worst Witch, when she was just eighteen. It became an instant bestseller, launching an extraordinary publishing career that spanned almost five decades and over thirty children’s books. These include the Worst Witch novels and the award-winning Large Family series, which have each sold over five million copies, and the acclaimed Bear Family series, which includes both her first and last picture books, Peace at Last and Just One of Those Days, published by Macmillan Children’s Books. Jill’s books have won many major awards including The Smarties Prize and two commendations for the Kate Greenaway Medal and her work has been adapted for film and television, with the Large Family series becoming a successful animated series. The Worst Witch has also been adapted for television, film and theatre, becoming an Olivier Award-winning stage show.