During the day, the boy has been to the zoo where he has seen a lion and her cub. As nighttime falls, the boy and his father share a book. It's the boy's bedtime, but the boy is not sleepy. He is still with the lions. Sleepy Boy is a lovely hymn from a new author -- a hymn to day and to night, to awake and to asleep, to mother and child, to father and son.
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Editorial Reviews
From School Library Journal
PreSchool-K A child has trouble falling asleep. Although his father lies beside him, holding him and calming him, all of the boy's senses are alert. He sees his own nose blurry and giant and the dusty, golden color of a nearby lamp. He hears his mother in the bathroom singing and hums along, …so low, he thinks it sounds like breathing. He feels his father's scratchy chin and soft, papery shirt. The text progresses quietly, lyrically in a tone that is sensuous, soothing, and thoughtful. Throughout the narrative, the boy also thinks about the lions he saw during a visit to the zoo earlier that day, remembering how a cub was washed and fed. His self-association with the animal is wonderfully expressed in the watercolor-and-charcoal artwork, which presents the two of them as counterparts. The evocative, photo-quality paintings are luscious and sophisticated. A soft, tawny glow envelopes each picture, be it of the child, sweetly curled in his father's arms, or the cub, roaming the room, gazing out the window, or playing with the boy's shoes. Readers see the feline reflected in the youngster's eye, or perched beside the mother's sink, reaching out to play with the running water. This beautiful book is a stellar collaboration with a fully sustained vision; it will move, enrich, and challenge children. Martha Topol, Traverse Area District Library, Traverse City, MI
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
From Booklist
*Starred Review* K-Gr. 2. Simple, physical words and full-page, unframed, sepia-toned watercolor-and-charcoal images combine to create a portrait of blissful intimacy between a toddler and his father as they snuggle together in bed. The minute details tell it all. The child is sleepy, but he can't sleep. His father smooths the boy's hair in an unforgettable image, long, tender fingers touching his head. The boy's ear presses "against the smooth, cool / surface of a button"; it's so quiet the child "listens to his hair / scraping against the pillowcase." In the comfort and security of his father's embrace, the boy remembers the lion cub he saw at the zoo, and the baby lion is part of what he imagines as he feels his father's "scratchy chin." With an exquisite blend of reality and lion-cub images on the edge of dream, this book is a lovely choice for fathers and children to share. Connect it with Margaret Wise Brown's Good Night Moon. Hazel Rochman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful bedtime read,
This review is from: Sleepy Boy (Hardcover)
A little boy has had a busy day, watching lions in the zoo. Now he is a sleepy boy who can't sleep, so his father lies beside him in bed and tells him to close his eyes. As the boy hears the sounds of his mother moving in the house and slowly drifts into sleep, he feels his father's presence beside him. He peeks an eye open to look into his father's eye, hears his father's slow breathing, feels his father's scratchy chin and smells the scent of his soap.
The illustrations, diffuse and softly glowing, perfectly portray the sleepy feeling of the story and the imaginary little lion cub who comes to visit. A wonderful book that perfectly evokes and celebrates what it feels like for a little boy to be in the physical presence of his father.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
the perfect bedtime book,
By a reviewer (Detroit, MI USA) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Sleepy Boy (Hardcover)
There's something about the text that just makes my son sleepy! And no matter who reads it, he is either out or well on his way by the end of the book. The only problem I have with the book is that my son always questions the illustrations, which mingle the tigers from the zoo with the boy's bedtime routine. So, for example, my son always wants to know why there is a tiger cub in the bathroom when the kid's mom is brushing her teeth. But if you don't mind stopping the story to explain (on every page) why there is a tiger cub in the house than this is the ultimate bedtime book.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for fathers and sons,
By
This review is from: Sleepy Boy (Hardcover)
I am really impressed by this book. Many writers focus on the relationship between a mother and her children. It was nice for someone to include fathers. Me and my sons have really enjoyed reading this book.
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