Review by Booklist Review
What happens to animals at night? An elephant lies in the tall grass, a bird dreams in her airy nest, the bat dangles from the cave roof, the leopard dozes on a branch, and a little boy sleeps peacefully in his bed with his toy alligator. But wait! Turn the book upside down and start again! This fanciful new direction shows that at night sometimes the elephant sleeps in the bird's nest, the bird lies in the tall grass, the rabbit dangles upside down from the cave roof, and the little boy sleeps on a cloud, dreaming of chocolate and raspberry ice cream. The center pages show a black full moon in eclipse on one half and an orange full moon on the other, prompting readers to turn the book upside down for another read. The palette of soft hues on each double-page spread also includes a patterned bright red ball to integrate the story. Collage backgrounds of maps and newsprint make subtle appearances in this sweet and imaginative bedtime story.--Gepson, Lolly Copyright 2016 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Originally published in Austria, this small-format bedtime meditation is two stories in one. In the initial arc, Bansch (Rosie the Raven) shows animals and one human boy sleeping in locations that are generally fitting: "At night, the elephant lies in the tall grass," she begins, "the bird dreams in her airy nest, and the cat purrs behind the warm stove." Mixed-media illustrations incorporate maps and other quirky details: as the bird sleeps, a tiny aviator tries to stay aloft using handheld wings and a hot-air balloon harness, and the "stove" that the cat curls up against looks more like a giant alien egg. Things only get odder when readers flip the book over: now the elephant is sleeping in the bird's nest (nestled atop a house's chimney), the cat "purrs in a burrow on a cushion of hay" that previously belonged to a rabbit, and the boy, named Manu, "sleeps on a cloud, and dreams of chocolate and raspberry ice cream." The quiet, calming language and surreal (but never frightening) imagery may indeed pave the way for overnight dreams-strange ones, very possibly. Ages 2-6. (Aug.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Because bedtime leads to separation for many children, they resist it mightily. This Austrian import offers an antidote, presenting a nocturnal world in which curling up to sleep connects kids to other creatures in settings both wondrous and whimsical. Mixed-media collages in a cozy format (7" x 7") depict slumbering animals, one per page: "At night, the elephant lies in the tall grass,/the bird dreams in her airy nest,/and the cat purrs behind the warm stove." The story opens with a black sky, which provides a high-contrast background for the classical structure on the horizon and the snoozing pachyderm and red flowers in the foreground. Each textured, artfully designed composition comprises 60 percent of a spread, with much to discover. Outside the primary narrative, something unexpected occurs in the white space, e.g., ducklings snatch the dog's bowl, repurposing it as a bed. The spherical shape of the moon (shown waxing and waning throughout the tale) is picked up in an orange-red star-dotted ball that rolls through the book offering companionship and comfort. This detail and the sonorous language contribute to the lulling effect. An eclipse divides the story in half, at which point readers flip the book for the "but sometimes" portion. In this alternate universe, the elephant is draped over a nest, the rabbit hangs upside down in a cave, and Manu, the protagonist, floats on a cloud. VERDICT The concept, humor, and scenes brimming with personality justify repeated readings-well beyond bedtime.-Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Horn Book Review
This Austrian import makes something gentle and quizzical of the end of the day as a young boy loosens his hold on daytime reality and falls asleep. The book begins by introducing, in a series of double-page spreads, eight animals at night, sleeping in their rightful places: bird in a nest, leopard on a tree branch, elephant in tall grass. Ninth is Manu, our protagonist, cozily tucked in with a companionable toy crocodile. Flipping the book over offers another, more abstracted picture of the night, as Manu dreams. Now the animals from the first narrative switch places: the elephant sleeps in the birds nest, etc.and some nights Manu sleeps on a cloud, and dreams of chocolate and raspberry ice cream. Both narratives end in the middle with a spread showing two large circles, representing moonsor holes in the fabric of the material worldor something else entirely that recalls the balloons and balls dotting the art throughout the book. Banschs atmospheric images, saturated with rich color, layer scratchy animal portraits atop collages of newsprint and tissue. Careful, consistent design, with black text appearing in a uniform column of ivory along the same side of each page, establishes a dependable structure inside of which the books less tangible elements can play. thom barthelmess (c) Copyright 2016. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
