Sleep Well, Siba and Saba

Starred review from July 15, 2017
A picture book that will transport readers to another place and time...where dreams come to life.Siba and Saba, two brown-skinned sisters wearing cornrowed hair, constantly lose things: shoes, scarves, sweaters, and more. They do, however, always keep track of each other. When they sleep, they dream of finding all they've lost. But one night, when Papa sings "Sula bulungi, Siba and Saba," as he always does, they dream not of lost things but of delightful new found things. Soon, the dreams come true in a way that portends a bright future for them both. Ugandan-American first-time author Isdahl weaves Ugandan culture into the tale by incorporating Luganda, the language of Uganda, into Papa's good-night song, through characters' names, and through the flora and fauna Siba and Saba encounter. And van Doorn, a French artist based in Australia, brings the whimsical story of these close-knit sisters vibrantly to life with colorful images of Ugandan plants, animals, and places the sisters encounter. Working in pastels and digital art, van Doorn integrates fanciful details and unusual shapes and patterns into the artwork and in so doing, creates a visually sumptuous story. This imaginative international tale will delight readers of all ages. (Picture book. 3-7)

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September 15, 2017
Grades K-3 There is much to like about this unusual picture book. The title comes from a bedtime song that Siba and Saba's father sings to them at night. Sula bulungi, Siba and Saba, he croons to the sleepy sisters, tired after a day of losing things. For losing things is what they do. Sweaters, slippers, shawls, and sandals all go missing during the day, only to mysteriously reappear in the girls' dreams. Until one night the dreams are different, filled instead with hopeful premonitions of the future. Textual and visual details locate the girls in contemporary Uganda. Isdahl's alliterative narrative floats like a poem, sometimes rhyming, sometimes not, and is perfectly complemented by Van Doorn's ethereal illustrations. A palette of citrusy yellow, green, and blood-orange hues share space with a crisp white background, sometimes textured with wispy grasses and the fluttering of birds, flowers, and bees. This beautifully rendered story is about the past and the future, change and constancy, and family love and inspired dreams, whether conjured while awake or sound asleep.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2017, American Library Association.)