Through the Looking Glass Children's Book Reviews
Please Don't Wake the Animals: A Book About Sleep
Illustrator: Higgins Bond
Nonfiction Picture Book
For ages 6 to 8
Peachtree Publishers, 2008 ISBN: 978-1561453931
When we think of animals, we tend to think of them as being active moving creatures. In our mind ’s eye, we see birds flying, lions hunting, whales swimming, and grasshoppers hopping. We tend not think about the fact that all animals, to some degree, need to sleep. Animals need sleep because it helps them to restore their energy levels.
Some animals, like lions, sleep for a large part of the day. Being predators, they can get away with this. Their prey don’t during the daylight hours because they need to be alert and aware of what is going on around them.
Some animals have special places where they sleep. Every evening gorillas build a sleeping nest, and parrotfish make their own “sleeping bags” out of mucus.
Other animals sleep wherever they happen to be. Dolphins sleep while they are swimming, and horses sleep standing up.
In this interesting picture book, young readers will learn about a variety of sleeping strategies that animals adopt. In addition to exploring how long and where and how animals sleep, the author also tells us how some animals sleep for long periods of time when the weather is especially hot or cold.
Full of fascinating facts about all kinds of creatures, and with incredibly detailed illustrations throughout, this picture book is a must for children who like to learn about animals.
