Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep

Yolen, Jane; Stemple, Heidi E.y.

ISBN 10: 0060815612 ISBN 13: 9780060815615

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2007

Synopsis

When winter's snow creates a soft blanket of silence, nothing is more comforting than curling up under a cozy quilt. Whether slumber awaits in a warm bed, a rocking hammock, or a nest of leaves, the feeling of comfort and the infinite world of dreams are universal.

This reassuring lullaby will calm any child to sleep, while Brooke Dyer's gentle illustrations show that the little details in everyone's niche truly make a place into a home.

About this title

About the Author:

Jane Yolen is a national bestselling author whose books include Owl Moon, illustrated by John Schoenherr; The Devil's Arithmetic; and the How Do Dinosaurs series, illustrated by Mark Teague. Ms. Yolen lives in Massachusetts and Scotland with her family.

From School Library Journal:

PreSchool-Grade 1—In this musical whisper of a book, various animals settle down for a winter's nap, assured that spring will wake them to reenter the warmer, more active world. Each page features a lullaby with language quirky enough to raise a smile-for instance: "Snore, little skunk, snore,/Turn over, snore some more./The winter winds may howl and wail;/Your den is closed with snow and hail./But you know spring will never fail./Snore, little skunk, snore." Complementing the comfort and reassurance of the text are Dyer's cozy and humorous illustrations. Frog cuddles up under a leaf-patterned comforter, warmed by her pink-striped scarf. Her ice skates are poised at the bedpost and her figure-skating trophy decorates the text on the opposing page. Badger, dressed like Sherlock Holmes, sneaks in some reading with his magnifying glass as he rests by a roaring fire in his underground den. Dyer deftly inserts details of pattern and personality using gentle, appealing colors. The painting of chipmunk snoozing in his running suit, surrounded by sneakers, is a hoot. The culmination of the book, on a blue background that might be flecked with snow or with stars, is, aptly, a message to children: "And even YOU, it's time for sleep,/So snuggle down and burrow deep./The sheet and quilt will keep you warm/Through winter or through summer storm/Till you awaken in the morn./Sleep, my little child, sleep." Soothing, soporific, and magnetic, this is a special winter bedtime book.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NY
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About this edition

• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 0060815612
• ISBN 13: 9780060815615
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 32
• Illustrator: Dyer Brooke