Tag Archives: Sleep

Elem. – There’s a Bear in Your Book

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Fletcher, Tom. There’s a Bear in Your Book. Random House Kids, 2023. 978-0-593-70399-1 Unpaged. $18.99 Grades PK-1.

This eighth book in the “Who’s in your Book?” series, adds a bear to the mix, joining a monster, dragon, alien, superhero, elf, witch and unicorn. In this book, Bear has had a picnic and is messy and tired. Readers are asked to help him get ready for bed by shaking the book (for the bubble bath), flapping the book’s pages (to dry Bear), and rocking the book (and Bear) to sleep. But a monster bursts in, leading the narrator to ask readers to wag their fingers at monster, imagine a night-light, press the switch to turn it on, yawn with bear and monster, and imagine five sheep, which then need a lullaby. The simple illustrations make the bear and monster (and even sheep) look cuddly and this may just work on young readers to help them fall asleep also. It’s an added plus that Fletcher includes “imagine” as an interactive task, both to support the idea of imagining being necessary and helpful, and also to quiet readers who have been active.

THOUGHTS: This title strikes the right balance between cute (for readers) and productive (for tired caregivers). Recommended.

Picture Book

Elem. – This Book Will Get You to Sleep

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John, Jory. This Book Will Get You to Sleep. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2022. 978-0-374-31130-8. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades PreK-2.

A charismatic, orange kangaroo narrates this story with one goal in mind: to get the reader to sleep. He tries many different tactics, most of which are outrageous and hilarious. For instance, he suggests that rumbling monster trucks, blaring car alarms, or screaming electric guitars might make the reader tired. He tries chants, magic tricks, and other strategies until he finally resorts to suggesting that the reader count sheep. There is a problem; however, these sheep are being chased by dragons! When all of the excitement fails to put the reader to sleep, the narrator suggests reading something less fun instead. Bold illustrations and colorful text add to the rowdiness of the story. A humorous tale with a refreshing take on bedtime drama, this book is sure to elicit plenty of laughs from young children. 

THOUGHTS: I love how interactive this book is, inviting readers to answer questions posed by the kangaroo (“You tired yet???” “You asleep yet???” “You dreaming yet???”).  The audience is also encouraged to participate in various chants throughout the story. Pair this with other stories about falling asleep, such as Drew Daywalt’s Sleepy, the Goodnight Buddy (2018) or Dev Petty’s I Don’t Want to Go to Sleep (2018). This book quickly will become a bedtime favorite!

Picture Book          Julie Ritter, PSLA Member

Elem. – Arlo: The Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep

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Rayner, Catherine. Arlo: The Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep. Peachtree, 2020. $17.99. 978-1-682-63222-2. 32 p. Grades K-2. 

Everyone knows that lions need a lot of sleep. Exhausted Arlo the lion searched high and low for a good place to sleep, but all he finds are faults. “The grass was too prickly and the earth was too hard” while the “sun is too hot and the night is too cold.” Nearing desperation, Arlo encounters an owl who shares her secret song for sleeping through the daytime with less than perfect conditions. Before long, Arlo is using the song to calm his mind and body to fall asleep. Feeling fully rested Arlo is excited to share with his friends whom he awakens in his excitement. Thus, the story repeats for two cycles as the lion helps his friends perfect the technique until everyone is sound asleep. Brief, repetitive text is spread sparsely over the soothing mixed media artwork featuring watercolor, screenprint, acrylic ink, and pencil allowing readers to become absorbed in the mindful message and find stillness.

THOUGHTS: A nice gentle storybook featuring elements of meditation and mindfulness for children. Delightful as a stand-alone story or a good introduction to a breathing, meditation, and mindfulness lesson.

Picture Book          Jackie Fulton, Mt. Lebanon SD