cover image Sweet Dreams, Wild Animals! A Story of Sleep

Sweet Dreams, Wild Animals! A Story of Sleep

Eileen R. Meyer, illus. by Laurie Caple. Mountain Press (mountain-press.com), $12 (32p) ISBN 978-0-87842-637-9

One by one, Meyer and Caple bid 14 animals good night, using rhymed couplets and dappled watercolors to show off the unusual ways they go to sleep. From a horse that can sleep standing up (“She locks her legs to stay in place,/ then takes her naps each day”) to frigate birds that take midflight naps, Meyer covers common and less familiar creatures, while informational passages expand on their sleeping habits. The layouts, rhymes, and prose sections never get too exciting or adventurous—the mood is undeniably soporific—but children will finish the book having learned some intriguing details about how other creatures get their rest. Ages 4–8. (Apr.)