Animals are Sleeping

June 1, 2008
PreS-Gr 2-While many picture books feature animals sleeping, either individually or in mother/child pairings, this title takes the concept a step further. Not only are the creatures shown in their natural habitats, but they are also depicted in their natural poses. The sloth is upside down, the giraffe is gently resting its head on a high tree branch, and the clown fish are tucked in between the gently swaying seaweed. The calming and peaceful text winds down to a "good night, sleep tight" conclusion with a little boy tucked into bed, his cat asleep at his side. The lush full-color illustrations continue the soothing effect of the text, casting shadows and layers without being too dark or too heavily drawn. Two concluding spreads suggest animal sorting cards and activities, including fill-in-the-blank types of questions that give just enough factual and interesting information to keep young minds engaged either in a classroom, during a pajama storytime, or at home on a caregiver's lap."Lisa Gangemi Kropp, Middle Country Public Library, Centereach, NY"

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