"If You Want to Fall Asleep" - a bookwrap

It's hard for little people to fall asleep some nights.  Their body and brain wants to keep chugging along and it's hard to shut down.  Today's book gives some suggestions as to how they might settle themselves so sleep can overtake them and give them the peace they need to fall fast asleep.  Enjoy!  

Unwrapping

"If You Want to Fall Asleep"

Authored by Jackie Azúa Kramer

Illustrated by Lisa Brandenburg

Ages 4-6

Grade Level: PS+

Publisher:  Clavis (May 11 2018) 

In the author's own words...

“In sharing motherhood with friends inevitably we end up laughing and/or crying about the nights spent trying to get our kids to bed. Just when you want to snuggle in with a good book and a cup of tea your little darling has a hundred and one excuses for why they can’t sleep. If this is true for you, you’ll love reading IF YOU WANT TO FALL ASLEEP with your pesky night watch-man. It’s a sweet bedtime battle between Little Mouse’s endless reasons for why he can’t sleep and his mother’s loving and imaginative suggestions. A night filled with daring pirates, mountains of pancakes, floating among the stars…and wait for yawning. And stretching. And sleepy thoughts. And drowsy eyes. I think you’ll love this story as you laugh seeing yourselves in Mama Mouse and Little Mouse. I treasure the bedtimes I’ve had snuggled together reading books with my children and this book will be sure to lead to sweet dreams.” --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

Unwrapping some amazing, gorgeous, brilliant illustrations 

About the book

Poor little mouse is having trouble getting to sleep.  He can't calm himself down and drift off so he goes and asks Mama Mouse what he should do.  In fact he seeks Mama Mouse out many times to see if she can give him some tips as to how he can shut himself down, curl up, and be gone to Dreamland.  

Wise Mama, with much patience and love, instructs her little guy to: read a whole book from cover to cover and then wait for the yawning, to imagine a mountain of pancakes and goodies in the  morning and wait for the stretching, snuggle with things that are soft while thinking of friends, family and pets then wait for sleepy thoughts to start, count stars in the sky remembering wishes he made for his birthday, in secret, and in his dreams then wait for the dozing, just to name a few. 

She finally hits on the magical formula that will give her little one a deep sense of contentment and calm causing his eyes to close and his day to finally be concluded.  Ahhhhhh!! Success!!

This delightful lyrical story is perfect to share with your little mouse at bedtime.  I am sure you have custom-made suggestions to give him to help him transition from awake to sound asleep. The illustrations are just gorgeous.  If I were to write a book I would love to have Lisa Brandenburg be my illustrator.  She is amazing!   I highly recommend this book.   

Storywraps Rating - 5 +++ HUGS!!!!!

Meet the author

Jackie Azua Kramer was born in Manhattan, NY. She studied acting and voice at New York University and earned her MA, Queens College, Counseling in Education. She has worked as an actor, singer, and school counselor. Her work with children presented her with an opportunity to address their concerns, secrets and hopes through storytelling. She is the author of How Lilly Ate the Rainbow and The Green Umbrella chosen Bank Street College Best Children's Books of The Year". Jackie and her family live under a canopy of trees in Long Island, NY. Visit her website jackieazuakramer.com”

About the illustrator

My name is Lisa Brandenburg (Dordrecht, 1978). I am an independent illustrator and work for both national and international clients. Together with my family I live in Amstelveen, the Netherlands.

I enjoyed my all-round illustration course at the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. I have ample experience in various disciplines and have trained myself in various craft and digital techniques. My clients and target groups vary greatly. A conscious choice: I have a broad artistic and social interest and I enjoy the challenge and variety in my work; it keeps me sharp and creative. I draw inspiration from daily (family) life, from nature, from beautiful books, films, music and visual arts.

Since 2012 I illustrate the picture series about the quirky 'Heksje Ella' published by Clavis Uitgeverij, Hasselt-Amsterdam-New York. Titles from this series have also been published in Denmark, Germany and China.

In addition to illustrating children's and picture books, I make editorial and commercial illustrations for various media, educational materials and calendars. I also design exclusive and customized correspondence material for all kinds of matters, for both individuals and institutions (invitations, wedding, removal and birth cards). Furthermore, I make - free or commissioned - 'free work', with which I also occasionally exhibit. On request I provide professional presentations and creative workshops for children in elementary school age.

My work is characterized by the specific use of color, composition and surface division, a healthy dose of humor and a touch of melancholy. I have a high level of quality, originality and meeting appointments and deadlines.

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