Go to Sleep, Little Farm

April 1, 2015

K-Gr 2-On a quiet farm a variety of creatures are preparing for sleep: gray mice hide under roots, a beaver makes a bed in a bog, and a little girl prepares to go to sleep. The sweet storyline and crafty wordsmithing combine for a work that children will love to listen to before going to bed. Such lines as "Somewhere a story goes to sleep in a book/ Somewhere a worm sleeps in the dirt" keeps the listener engaged. Narration by Maria Cabezas is rhythmic and calming, perfect for a relaxing story time or bedtime. Young listeners will enjoy hearing about animals' bedtime routines while the little girl prepares for her bedtime alongside them. This is a home run with a cozy feel that rivals Goodnight Moon. VERDICT Recommended for all collections.-Jessica Gilcreast, Bedford High School, NH

Copyright 2015 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Starred review from June 30, 2014
Ray’s (Stars) lullaby reads like a sequel to Goodnight, Moon, with the same offbeat humor and incantatory language extending to the farm and the forest beyond it. Animals are seen settling down for the night while a young bed goer in the farmhouse mirrors their actions. “Somewhere a beaver weaves a bed in a bog,/ Somewhere a bear finds a bed in a log.” Neal, in a reprise of the remarkable cutaway views of his Over and Under the Snow, shows the bulky bear at rest, while on the following page, the girl reads underneath her blankets, the mound of bedclothes echoing the curves of bear and log. The retro-style mixed-media artwork is created in the blues and roses of twilight, and the action swings between outside and inside. Repeated, pleasingly surreal lines of verse convey the sense of drifting into slumber: “Somewhere a worm sleeps in the dirt./ Somewhere a pocket sleeps in a skirt.” The worm emits delicate a row of z’s; so does the pocket. It’s a keeper. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary Agency. Illustrator’s agent: Stephen Barr, Writers House.