The God of Sleep

Resplendent in a crown of rays, the sun god—and the whole divine workforce—is ready to wind down in this not-so-soporific work from Grossman (the Magicians trilogy), making his picture book debut, and Liên (My First Day). But the god of sleep is a no-show, and “there won’t be any snoozing” until she appears. Rhyming text and digitally finished watercolor illustrations take readers on the sun god’s hunt for the eponymous deity, encountering an expansive pantheon that includes a jester-like god of jokes, a mystery god in Sherlock Holmes gear, and a noodling math god. The sun god has “just about resigned herself/ To staying-up-all-nighting” when the god of sleep finally drifts in—blue-haired, nightgowned, “guarded by butterflies,” and apologizing for being waylaid by numerous human crises. As the tardy deity tucks in, the gods blissfully enter slumber, too. Even bedtime-averse readers should get a giggle from seeing powerful immortals desperate for tuck-in time. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones, some fanciful. Ages 6–8. Author’s agent: Janine Kamouh, WME. Illustrator’s agent: Kate Webber, Good Illustration Limited. (Mar.)