You Are Not Sleepy!

Starred review from July 15, 2024
A first acrylic image by Teague (King Kong’s Cousin ) sets the comic stakes of
this naptime picture book: an anthropomorphized, brown-spotted pink piglet in a mesh-sided crib reaches plaintively toward the departing human hand, portrayed with brown skin, holding a picture book. Now that storytime is over, the pig faces a familiar problem: it may be time for a nap, but “you are not sleepy.” Unable to get comfortable, the would-be snoozer takes matters into its own hooves. Clambering out of the playpen, the protagonist ostensibly begins crafting a more soporific environment, only to engage in a spiraling chain of actions and reactions. Closing a window shade, for example, leads to turning on a flashlight that lures moths into the room, while spilling a glass of water leads to the pig’s blow-drying everything in sight—including its own armpits. When the creature finally feels cozy, a new arrival suddenly shifts the character from nap avoider into stern nap enforcer. It’s storytelling hog heaven, with narrative twists, delightfully deadpan visuals, and resonant themes of autonomy, mischievousness, ingenuity, and emerging responsibility. Ages 4–8.

October 15, 2024
Preschool-Grade 2 After a story, it's time for a nap for a spotted piglet. But it's not so easy: after getting comfy, "the room is too bright." Pulling down the shades makes the room too dark, a flashlight attracts moths, the birds outside the window are too loud, and so on. The distractions and delays continue in a comical domino effect involving a dance party, a glass of water, and a hair dryer, until, finally warm and settled, Pig must contend with a playful cat. Teague's naptime comedy of errors will surely elicit giggles from little ones, and the direct address text makes it especially well suited to a silly story time. His crisp, comical acrylic paintings vividly depict the pig's activities, and the wealth of details in the background add playful whimsy. Pig's resourceful solution to the problem of the energetic cat is nicely cyclical and makes for a satisfying and notably calm conclusion. Just right for naptime, this is sure to resonate with decidedly not sleepy children and their beleaguered adults.

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November 15, 2024
A pig struggles to take a nap. When storytime ends, the pig (referred to as "you" in this tale told in second person) tries to settle in but can't. "The room is too bright!" So the pig pulls down the shades. Uh-oh. "Now the room is too dark." Every time the pig finds a solution to one of the problems causing sleeplessness, another arises. The pig turns on a flashlight to banish the darkness, but moths are instantly attracted to the light. Opening a window gets rid of the moths, but now birdsong keeps the pig awake. As our protagonist dons a pair of headphones to muffle the noise, nap time turns into a dance party. Though the often dull palette and arrhythmic text may not seem like the ingredients for an engaging read, the comical predicaments the pig encounters make for an endearing story (though it's debatable whether this tale will get young readers in the mood for sleep or rile them up all the more). The delightful conclusion, which puts the pig in charge of storytime and sees our protagonist falling asleep at last, may empower little ones to take charge of their reading and become a little more willing to embrace bedtime themselves. A slow-building but satisfying story.(Picture book. 3-5)

COPYRIGHT(2024) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

July 1, 2024
It's time for a pig to take a nap, but several increasingly outlandish distractions keep the animal awake. First, the room is too bright. The pig pulls down a shade, making it too dark. A flashlight breaks through the darkness but attracts moths. Finally, a playful cat shows up, and the pig reads to her to restore calm, putting them both to sleep. Teague's humorous acrylic illustrations add liveliness to this relatable story.

(Copyright 2024 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)