Sleep: How Nature Gets Its Rest

A variety of animals snooze in homes, on farms, and in the wild in this spare, factual lullaby that recalls Gyo Fujikawa’s Sleepy Time. A cat and a dog snuggle cozily on one side of the first spread (“Cats and dogs sleep curled up...”) before roughhousing on the other (“when they aren’t playing”). Though the remaining creatures remain asleep, opposites are a running theme: meerkats messily “sleep in a heap,” while “rhinos sleep alone;” bears spend the whole winter snoozing, but ants “sleep for only a few moments at a time.” Upside-down text accompanies the sloth’s page, cleverly mirroring the manner in which it sleeps. The end poses a question (“Do you think they dream?”), and Prendergast portrays imagined animal dreams with levity: a tortoise exuberantly crosses a finish line; hibernating bears envision honey. The soft, realistic, mixed-media animal portraits radiate vintage warmth well-suited to the soporific mood with muted colors and gentle strokes. Fact-filled back matter adds depth for older readers. A soothing, informative offering to lull young creatures to sleep. Ages 5–8. [em](Sept.) [/em]