A Book of Sleep by Il Sung Na
A Book of Sleep is a mesmerizing story book, that is sure to become a bedtime favorite. The illustrations are beautifully captivating and the story simple and soothing, yet engaging.
The book opens with darkness falling outside and introduces the central figure of the owl, who stays awake at night whilst all of the other animals go to sleep.
“When the sky grows dark and the moon glows bright, everyone goes to sleep… except for the watchful owl.”
The story then leads the reader to a different animal on each double page and shows them falling to sleep in their own way.
“Some sleep in peace and quiet. Some make lots of noise when they sleep.”
The enchanting illustrations on each page create a magical sense of night time, which pulls you into the dreamy world of the animals as they sleep. More attentive audiences will notice the figure of the owl on each page, watching over the other animals as they sleep. Children will enjoy spotting him swooping over the ocean, or perched on a tree. On some pages he is easy to spot, but on some pages readers will have to look very carefully for him – although he springs into clear view on the page: “Some sleep with both eyes open…”
At the end of the story, day time breaks and “everyone wakes up!” The colors become bright and cheerful and all the animals are awake. Although there is someone missing…
On the final page we see the “tired owl”, fast asleep against a bright sunshine.
The illustrations are truly what makes this book such a captivating read. Na’s use of color and pattern is beautiful. The animals look magical against the night sky and the dark blue world of sleep explodes with color at the end, as day time arrives.
A Book of Sleep is a must have for the bedtime book shelf – for babies, toddlers and children of all ages (including grown up ones!)
Disclosure: This post contains some affiliate links, however all opinions are entirely my own.
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[…] One of Little M’s favorite bedtime books. Enchanting illustrations create a magical sense of night time, pulling you into the dreamy world of the animals as they sleep. More attentive audiences will notice the figure of the owl on each page and will enjoy spotting him swooping over the ocean, or perched on a tree. You can read a full review of this book here. […]