Chengdu Could Not, Would Not, Fall Asleep

February 24, 2014
A small panda attempts to fall sleep in this humorous, subdued bedtime story. Chengdu is the only animal awake in his bamboo grove: “Chengdu turned and he tossed and he twitched,” writes Saltzberg (A Little Bit of Oomph!), “but he could not, would not fall asleep.” In one of the funniest moments, Saltzberg provides an extreme close-up of Chengdu’s wide-open eyes, turning the panda’s distinctive black eye markings into disembodied blobs against a field of white. Turning two graduated panels, readers follow Chengdu’s climb to a higher branch where he finds “the perfect spot” for sleeping—sprawled atop his sleeping brother, who then becomes the only creature still awake. In addition to those panels, several other gatefolds appear, including one that highlights Chengdu’s comical attempt to fall asleep by hanging upside-down. In keeping with the hushed tone and bedtime setting, the pages are dominated by inky nighttime blackness, interrupted only by the pandas’ white fur, the luminous white branches, and pale green shoots of bamboo. Restless sleepers with their own unorthodox “perfect spots” will relate. Ages 3–5. Agent: Rosemary Stimola, Stimola Literary Studio.

Starred review from March 1, 2014
In a twist on numerous picture books about little animals who are determined to stay awake, Chengdu the panda is trying his hardest to get to sleep. Droll illustrations accompany spare, lulling text, leading to Chengdu's success and a humorous surprise near the book's end. The cover art is an immediate draw: The small panda's oversized paws cling to a tree branch as his expressive, sleep-deprived face stares at readers, expertly matching the "could not, would not fall asleep" of the title. Initial pages establish a soporific mood, showing utterly relaxed, drowsily smudged pandas snoozing against a star-studded black sky, muted green bamboo branches the only spots of color. Large, softened white letters murmur, "It was late, and it was quiet, // and everyone in the bamboo grove was sleeping." The next double-page spread consists of white space with only two wide-awake, black-masked panda eyes and the words, "Everyone except...." Of course, the page turn leads readers back to wide-awake Chengdu, staring plaintively from his moon-washed tree branch. Varied compositions and a couple of gatefolds add to the fun for readers as poor Chengdu tosses, scrunches and climbs his way to sleep...almost but, happily, not quite at the expense of his brother, Yuan. Little sleepyheads will love chanting along with the words, and no one can deny the appeal of the art. A bedtime winner. (Picture book. 1-5)

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April 1, 2014

PreS-K-Sitting in his tree in the dark bamboo jungle, a young panda tries every trick he knows to fall asleep. "Chengdu turned/and he tossed/and he twitched/but he/could not, would not/fall asleep." Finally, he climbs up, finds his brother, plops on top of him, and dozes right off. But now, his brother is wide awake. Full-bleed spreads perfectly capture the expressive cub's frustration. Done in black and white with touches of green and gray, the illustrations have the feel of night in a bamboo grove. Simple words in black print on white pages and white print on darker pages take readers' eyes on a visual journey. The size of the pages varies to show the movement. A lovely choice for toddler programs or pajama storytimes.-Janene Corbin, Rosebank Elementary School, Nashville, TN

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