A Book of Sleep

Originally from Korea, Il Sung Na studied illustration at Kingston University and now lives in London.

*Starred Review* First published in England under the title ZZzzz: A Book of Sleep (2007), Na’s wonderfully illustrated debut is one of those bedtime books that children will likely turn to again and again. The text is spare but informative, and soothing in its rhythms: “When the sky grows dark / and the moon glows bright / everyone goes to sleep . . . except for the watchful owl.” In the double-page spreads that follow, Na presents a variety of animals at rest (“Some sleep peacefully alone, / While others sleep all together, huddled close at night”). However they sleep, these animals are always being observed by that “watchful owl,” and children will enjoy finding him tucked between two huddling penguins or perched on the branch of a distant tree. There’s no way to miss him when he comes face-to-face with a fish whose eyes are open when asleep; their close-ups, in profile, make them seem startled to see each other and showcase Na’s playful use of texture, color, and unlikely patterns. The striking deep-blue of Na’s nighttime gives way to bright sun at the end of the book, and finally “the tired owl” gets his turn to sleep. Grades K-2. --Abby Nolan