It’s sleepy time for Lion and Penguin. Correction: it should be sleepy time for Lion and Penguin, but Lion’s eyes aren’t tired, and his ears would like a story. Penguin, however, is tired and nods off into sweet candy dreams—until a noise wakes him. “Oh, are you awake?” asks Lion sweetly, seated before a drum set. “Let’s have that story, then!” “Not now. It is time to close your eyes and dream dreams.” And so it goes, with an ever-more-disgruntled Penguin trying to nod off while an exuberant Lion innocently practices his drumming, bounces on his squeaky trampoline, and munches on his crunchy chips. Will Penguin need to resort to extreme measures to get his friend to sleep, or has the answer been there all along? Bob Shea’s signature wit, delivered only in dialogue, and Jarvis’s unassuming, retro art and knack for visual humor are sure to delight young readers—and their caregivers—whether at naptime, bedtime, or anytime.
- Books
- Kids Fiction & Indies
- Kids Fiction
- Oh, Are You Awake?
Oh, Are You Awake?
Author(s)
Publisher
Genre(s)
Age Range
4+
Release Date
April 02, 2024
ISBN
978-1536226584
Buy This Book
Editor reviews
2 reviews
Fun For All Ages
(Updated: June 08, 2024)
Overall rating
5.0
Plot
5.0
Characters
5.0
Writing Style
5.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
5.0
Oh, Are You Awake? Is a quirky tale that appeals to children and the caregivers in their lives who just want to nap in peace. Lion wants a story from Penguin, but since Penguin is sleepy, Lion tries to find quiet ways to entertain himself like practicing the drums. I love how the premise of this book appeals to multiple age ranges as we can put ourselves in the shoes of Penguin and Lion. The illustrations and plot are humorous and sure to amuse readers as they see the next “quiet” activity Lion is going to do. The dream sequences of Penguins remind me of the illustrative style of Margaret Wise Brown’s book THE COLOR KITTENS. Overall, this is a fun story perfect for a snuggle read before nap or bedtime.
Good Night, Sleep Tight, and Pleasant Dreams To You
(Updated: June 13, 2024)
Overall rating
4.0
Plot
4.0
Characters
4.0
Writing Style
4.0
Illustrations/Photos (if applicable)
4.0
Penguin is exhausted, and tells his friend Lion that it is time to go to sleep. Lion would rather stay up, but Penguin goes to sleep on top of Lion's head and has lovely dreams about candy. He is rudely awakened by an enormous crash that Lion causes. He reminds Lion that it is time to sleep, and floats off again, dreaming of flying with a unicorn until Lion's chip eating rouses him. Lion claims that he was being quiet, and Penguin again drifts off into a world where he is the conductor of a puppy train. This crashes when Lion is hopping on a trampoline. Lion wants to hear all about Penguin's exquisite dreams, so Penguin caves and starts to tell Lion a story. This, of course, makes the Lion drowsy, and the two friends are able to slip into slumber and dream all manner of amazing things.
Good Points
Jarvis's simple drawings express lots of emotions; Penguin's sleep-deprived eyes are particularly well done. The real life moments occur on a white background, which makes the candy colored dreamscapes really pop. The digitally done illustrations have a slight collage feel to them, and something about Lion give this book a 1960s vibe, which is becoming so common that maybe it's just a 2020s vibe now!
What small child doesn't want to have dreams about candy, flying with a unicorn, or being on a train full of puppies? Not only should this book calm down even the rowdiest bedtime naysayers, but it should give them plenty of scope for their imagination and lead to interesting conversations about dreams the following morning.
There are plenty of books about reluctant sleepers, and this is a fun one to add to the mix, along with Hong's Happy Dreams, Little Bunny, Cummins' Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover, and Pizzoli's Goodnight, Owl. Who knew that animals had such a hard time falling asleep!
What small child doesn't want to have dreams about candy, flying with a unicorn, or being on a train full of puppies? Not only should this book calm down even the rowdiest bedtime naysayers, but it should give them plenty of scope for their imagination and lead to interesting conversations about dreams the following morning.
There are plenty of books about reluctant sleepers, and this is a fun one to add to the mix, along with Hong's Happy Dreams, Little Bunny, Cummins' Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover, and Pizzoli's Goodnight, Owl. Who knew that animals had such a hard time falling asleep!
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