Book Review: I See the Animals Sleeping

The Sleep Education blog invited Vicki Rakowski to review I see the Animals Sleeping: A Bedtime Story, a children’s picture book published in 2011 by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Vicki is assistant director of youth services for the Lisle Library District in Lisle, IL.

How does a lion sleep? A red fox? How about an elephant? With this new title from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, young readers will learn exactly how their favorite animals go about getting their rest.

The information is delivered simply – charmingly illustrated scenes of sleeping animals and their habitats juxtaposed with a four-line rhyme and a fact box. From flamingoes to platypuses, the scenes are elegantly done, but never overly arty -- it’s impossible not to smile at illustrator Roberta Baird’s rendition of a dozing sea otter.

The “Sleep Fact!” boxes offer lots of points for discussion -- the differences in the ways many animals prefer to sleep, as well as their ideal habitats, and wonderful details about the animals themselves, but this information is never overwhelming.

While the majority of the rhymes are pitch-perfect for both the audience and the subject matter, readers may find themselves stumbling here and there over a few forced lines. This book, however, offers solid, engaging nonfiction for toddlers and preschoolers about one of their favorite subjects: the animal kingdom.

This makes a great addition to any children’s collection, and will be a terrific support to early childhood educators in their lesson plans and circle time. Recommended for toddlers and preschoolers.

I See the Animals Sleeping: A Bedtime Story can be purchased from Amazon or directly from the AASM. Also available from the AASM is The Animals Sleep: A Bedtime Book of Biomes. Learn more about these books and find other educational resources at SleepEducation.com.

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The Practical Napper Book Review

The Practical Napper, by Jennifer Eyre White, is a humorous guide to the importance of taking naps. It is a quick, easy read that provides facts from research and sleep studies, as well as tips to getting the most out of your nap time. It also has quotes from many well known people.

The book gives a positive outlook on the act of napping, and relates well to the reader. It ranges from tips on how and when to nap to what napping can do for you in the long run. White also talks to parents with newborns and what they can do to get some sleep in their otherwise sleep deprived lives.

The Practical Napper has something for everyone. It grabs the attention of the reader with pictures and short, snappy writing. By using quotes, it shows that many people, even if they don’t know the medical facts, know the value of a nap. White includes this quote from Earnest Hemingway in which he says, “I love sleep. My life has the tendency to fall apart when I’m awake, you know?” Overall, the book was fun, enjoyable and makes the case for taking naps even stronger!

In the vein of fun books, the AASM has just published two children’s picture books about sleeping. They are wonderful ways to introduce your child to the importance of sleep. For information on how to purchase them, click here.

Photo by Maria Pons

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Review: “Wide Awake: A Memoir of Insomnia”

In “Wide Awake: A Memoir of Insomnia” author Patricia Morrisroe provides an entertaining overview of the basics of sleep medicine and the lengths people go to find sleep.

Morrisroe has battled insomnia for most of her life. In the book she describes her frustrations of waking up most nights and never getting back to sleep, a problem that dates back to childhood.

The story is about the author as much as it is about sleep. Morrisroe’s writing style is straightforward and personal. It’s easy to identify with her as she desperately grasps for anything to help with her insomnia.

One warning to readers: “Wide Awake” does not make for good bedtime reading. The description inside the hardcover jacket advises, “Reading [“wide awake”] will promote wakefulness.” Readers with insomnia caused by bedtime anxiety should heed this warning. Reading the inner thoughts of a writer with insomnia may only perpetuate sleeplessness by suggestion.

Reading “Wide Awake” its clear Morrisroe is well-versed in the scientific background of sleep. She intelligently breaks down jargon-filled research articles found in academic journals to educate readers about various sleep disorders and treatments.

The early to middle parts of the book compellingly lay out just how ubiquitous sleep, or the lack of it, is in our technologically-driven 24-hour society. In many ways, we’re being kept from sleep; from our hospitals to the casino floors in Las Vegas bleary-eyed workers try to survive day-by-day.

The narrative takes some distracting detours in its later acts. It seems the whole purpose of Morrisroe’s adventure in arctic Sweden is to show readers “look at this exotic place where I couldn’t sleep.” The segment about the new-age dream retreat and costume ball seemed similarly off-track.

Morrisroe gives a somewhat controversial account of her experiences with sleep clinicians. Most disappointingly, she did not adhere to Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, the AASM recommended treatment for primary insomnia. Based on her accounts, her therapist wasn’t the right fit. She describes an almost adversarial relationship filled with friction. In this case it’s best to switch therapists and find a mental health professional with a more compatible disposition.

Ending Spoiler Alert: Contrary to the books description, Morrisroe never finds the answer to her insomnia, but she does come close. Meditation techniques seem to temporarily work by reducing her sleep anxiety. But it’s an environmental factor that ultimately keeps her up at night. The book closes with her sitting on her porch at 4 a.m. staring at the full moon, unable to sleep but relaxed from meditation.

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A Book of Sleep for Children

Born in South Korea and educated in London, illustrator Il Sung Na makes his American debut with A Book of Sleep.

“It's the rare picture book that, upon arrival, feels as though it has been around for years already,” noted Publisher’s Weekly.

The opening line sets the stage for the story: When the sky grows dark and the moon glows bright, everyone goes to sleep . . .except for the watchful owl!

This wide-eyed owl proceeds on a moonlit journey to see how the other animals sleep the night away.

“One of the sweetest and most original of the new nighttime picture books,” author Liz Rosenberg wrote in The Boston Globe. “Both children and adults will welcome its…archetypical beauty.”

The book contrasts sparse text with rich, textured illustrations of a starry night.

“So thoroughly does the book inhabit its sleepy world,” author Daniel Handler commented in a New York Times review. Handler is best known for penning the A Series of Unfortunate Events books under the Lemony Snicket pseudonym.

A Book of Sleep is available as a 24-page hardcover book from Knopf Books for Young Readers.

In September the Sleep Education Blog described two other sleep books for children.

Learn more about sleep and animals.

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