Sloth Wasn't Sleepy by Kate Messner, illustrated by Valentina Toro

 

Sloth Wasn't Sleepy written by Kate Messner,

illustrated by Valentina Toro

Sounds True, 2021, 32 pages

One night, Sloth just can't go to sleep. She is anxious and worried about so many things, like slithering snakes, prowling jaguars with big teeth, eagles with sharp talons. No wonder Sloth doesn't want to go to sleep.

But even after her Mama tells her to close her eyes and relax, Sloth is more wide awake that ever. Instead of insisting the Sloth just stay in bed, understanding Mama suggests they not go to sleep quite yet. Rather, she takes Sloth outside to listen to the wind and let it ruffle through her fur. Sometimes that helps Mama relax. 

But when that fails to relax Sloth to sleep, Mama teaches her to take deep relaxing breaths that she can feel them from head to toe. And while that works to make Sloth a little tired, she is still worried about worrying when she goes to bed.

Mama decides to confront the worries head-on. She tells Sloth to imagine one of her worries, and when Sloth conjures up the prowling jaguar, Mama tells her to lay it on a leaf and let it go. One by one, Sloth's worries are sent off on their own leaf until there are no more left. 

Once all of Sloth's worries have been sent on their way, she and Mama do a few more deep breaths from head to toe, and before Mama knows it, Sloth is fast asleep.

Sloth Wasn't Sleepy is just the book that families might need right now, when kids are faced with so many more worries. There's the pandemic, falling behind in school, time on their hands that lets worry and anxiety creep in. And leave it to Kate Messner to come up with the perfect calming story that incorporates mindfullness into the bedtime routine. 

What's really nice about this gentle bedtime/naptime story is that parents and kids can practice the things that Mama has Sloth do to relax. In fact, deep breaths really are calming and relaxing, and visualizing worries being sent away can be practiced any time of day, For example, when kids get anxious and worried about school and homework. 

The illustrations are as gentle as the text. The tree home where Sloth and her Mama live is bright, warm and inviting, while outside the sky is a friendly blue as opposed to a scary pitch black sky. You'll notice that Sloth's worries also begin to lose their scary look as they are sent away.

Once, when my Kiddo was very young, her cousin convinced her that aliens were going to come at night and snatch her away. It was almost impossible to get her to sleep for the next few days. I certainly could have used this book to help her get over her worries at bedtime. I can't recommend it highly enough.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+

This book was gratefully received from the publisher Sounds True

Dream Big, Little Scientists: A Bedtime Story by Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Alice Potter

Dream Big, Little Scientists: A Bedtime Book 

by Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Alice Potter

Charlesbridge Publishing, 2020, 32 pages 

When nighttime comes, all over the neighborhood, 12 budding scientists are beginning to get very tired. It's time to go home, get ready for bed, and head off to their bedrooms for a goodnight's sleep. Each young scientist and their bedroom is seen in a two page spread, in a room decorated with representative items relating to their specific STEM interest. And their interests are as diverse as they and the ways they sleep are.

For example, there are the twins who share bunk beds and are interested in climate change; one young girl in a wheelchair, whose hero is Stephen Hawking, has an interest in physics; an Asian girl who sleeps on the mat on the floor is interested in anthropology, and has a poster of Takie Lebra on her wall (confession - I learn something new in children's books all the time. I didn't know who Takie Lebra is until I read this book). A white boy with a hearing aid has pictures of George Washington Carver and Thomas Meehan (the botanist not the movie producer by the same name) on his bedroom wall because his interest lies in botany.

This appealing bedtime story, written in a simple ABCB rhyme scheme, has a nicely embedded message that tells young readers that science is for EVERYONE, all you need is the interest and there are plenty of areas where interest can be found. The colorful illustrations are whimsical and detailed. Each two page bedroom is decorated with books, posters, and other objects reflecting what that child in interested in scientifically, as well as curtains, pjs, and quilts to match.

When I read this to my young readers, they found the rhyme very appealing. The way it is presented reminded some of the of Goodnight Moon, a book they all still love. But they also loved exploring each illustration and learning the different names the different branches of science and the names of some of the items and people found on the page.

You can read the bio of each scientists included in this book HERE

At the end of the book, there is a chart defining each area of interested presented with a definition of what scientists study in each one. And you can download an extensive Educator's Guide and Activity Kit from the author's website HERE

Dream Big, Little Scientists is an ideal bedtime story with a subtle educational message that can conveniently be explored with your young readers during the day.

This book is recommended for readers age 3+
This book was gratefully received from Barbara at BlueSlipMedia

Mini Review: Stop That Yawn! by Caron Levis, illustrated by LeUyen Pham

It's bedtime and Gabby Wild's Granny has come to tuck her in, but tonight Gabby wants something else. She wants to stay up all night long. And so, they pack their toothbrushes and off they go to Never Sleeping City where no one ever sleeps, where beds are only for jumping on, and it's never too late at night for ice cream.

But at the top of the ferris wheel at the Never Sleeping City Carnival, it's cozy, quiet and peaceful, and soon Granny's mouth opens wide and, you guessed it, a great big yawn escapes. Gabby instantly realizes that if she is to avoid going to sleep, she will have to stop her Granny's yawn from spreading throughout Never Sleeping City.

Well, we all know how contagious a yawn is, so Gabby rushes from place to place, person to person, trying to stop Granny's yawn before it puts everyone to sleep. Can she do it?

Stop That Yawn! is an bedtime story turned on its head. The text is pretty simple with the repeating phrase "Grit your teeth, seal your lips, we have to stop that - YAWN." No doubt your young readers, like mine, will pick that up and repeat it in just the right places. The illustrations are fun and very different from the text, making Never Sleeping City and its inhabitants somewhat frenetic, which I suspect reflects how the world can feel to a child fighting sleep sometimes.

My young readers loved reading this book and exploring the illustrations - over and over again. And it sparked lots of talk about how they try to stay awake as long as possible. And yet, the story also elicited more than a few young yawns.

On a personal note: the first time I read this book, I laughed out loud remembering all the nights my Kiddo begged to stay up late. Finally, one New Year's Eve, I told her she could stay up to see the new year in. She was pretty excited, until that first yawn. And no, she didn't make it to midnight that year.

If you are looking for a different kind of bedtime story, if you kids are starting to want to stay up later and later, or if you and your young readers just want a good laugh, Stop That Yawn! is a book you will all surely enjoy.

This book is recommended for readers age 4+
This book was sent to me by the publisher, Atheneum BFYR