Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep [Hardcover]

Jane Yolen (Author), Heidi E. Y. Stemple (Author), Brooke Dyer (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 3 and up | Grade Level: P and up

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.

Editorial Reviews

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
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

The rhyme scheme is as lilting as a lullaby, and Dyer's ineffably sweet watercolor illustrations enrich this bedtime story. With winter-nights scenes always in the background, a series of animal folk is sleeping, snuggled in nests as cozy as can be. A black bear, its den under the roots of a tree, sits in a chair by the fireplace, covered by a quilt. A little frog may be asleep at the bottom of a stream, but it's tucked into its bed, and it wears a striped muffler, just as the fish do. A box turtle snoozes in a hammock underground (wearing boxing gloves), and a toad dozes in its library, a manual typewriter by its side. The book ends with a directive to the listener: "And even YOU, it's time for sleep, / so snuggle down and burrow deep." GraceAnne DeCandido
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 3 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: HarperCollins (February 6, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060815604
• ISBN-13: 978-0060815608
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 10.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,036,386 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Born and raised in New York City, Jane Yolen now lives in Hatfield, Massachusetts. She attended Smith College and received her master's degree in education from the University of Massachusetts. The distinguished author of more than 170 books, Jane Yolen is a person of many talents. When she is not writing, Yolen composes songs, is a professional storyteller on the stage, and is the busy wife of a university professor, the mother of three grown children, and a grandmother. Active in several organizations, Yolen has been on the Board of Directors of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, was president of the Science Fiction Writers of America from 1986 to 1988, is on the editorial board of several magazines, and was a founding member of the Western New England Storytellers Guild, the Western Massachusetts Illustrators Guild, and the Bay State Writers Guild. For twenty years, she ran a monthly writer's workshop for new children's book authors. In 1980, when Yolen was awarded an honorary Doctor of Law degree by Our Lady of the Elms College in Chicopee, Massachusetts, the citation recognized that "throughout her writing career she has remained true to her primary source of inspiration--folk culture." Folklore is the "perfect second skin," writes Yolen. "From under its hide, we can see all the shimmering, shadowy uncertainties of the world." Folklore, she believes, is the universal human language, a language that children instinctively feel in their hearts. All of Yolen's stories and poems are somehow rooted in her sense of family and self. The Emperor and the Kite, which was a Caldecott Honor Book in 1983 for its intricate papercut illustrations by Ed Young, was based on Yolen's relationship with her late father, who was an international kite-flying champion. Owl Moon, winner of the 1988 Caldecott Medal for John Schoenherr's exquisite watercolors, was inspired by her husband's interest in birding. Yolen's graceful rhythms and outrageous rhymes have been gathered in numerous collections. She has earned many awards over the years: the Regina Medal, the Kerlan Award, the World Fantasy Award, the Society of Children's Book Writers Award, the Mythopoetic Society's Aslan Award, the Christopher Medal, the Boy's Club Jr. Book Award, the Garden State Children's Book Award, the Daedalus Award, a number of Parents' Choice Magazine Awards, and many more. Her books and stories have been translated into Japanese, French, Spanish, Chinese, German, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Afrikaans, !Xhosa, Portuguese, and Braille. With a versatility that has led her to be called "America's Hans Christian Andersen," Yolen, the child of two writers, is a gifted and natural storyteller. Perhaps the best explanation for her outstanding accomplishments comes from Jane Yolen herself: "I don't care whether the story is real or fantastical. I tell the story that needs to be told."

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Each page is an ode to relaxing for bed, May 8, 2011

By 

O. Fischer (Atlanta, GA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep (Hardcover)

I've started reading this to my 2yo as a bedtime story and so far it's helped get the kiddo nice and drowsy. Heck - it makes me drowsy reading it. I'm planning on reading this nightly for my newborn to ensure it's a favorite with her as well.

I do wish it came in a big board format so I could leave it out safely since I have the paper back scholastic book fair version and I can just see it getting torn.

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic bedtime story!, July 7, 2010

By 

Cindy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep (Hardcover)

I love this book. It has a very calming feel to it. I have twin 5 year olds and they absolutely love this book, its a perfect bedtime story to calm them down after an active day. They snuggle right into bed with each other while I read to them, and I can see the smiles on their faces as they get sleepy listening to this story.

I highly recommend this book to anyone with young children. Its a fantastic, soothing bedtime story.

5.0 out of 5 stars Warm, whimsical, perfect bedtime book, March 20, 2009

By 

Alexis (Poughkeepsie, NY) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sleep, Black Bear, Sleep (Hardcover)

Sleep Black Bear, Sleep is a perfect bedtime book. The text is soothing and familiar, the illustrations are warm and whimsical. It is such a completely cozy book to curl up with. My 3 year old son enjoys it a great deal and I love reading it to him.