HELLO ANIMALS, HOW DO YOU SLEEP?

A brief introduction to some of the
ways animals sleep.

The book starts off with the titular
phrase, “Hello animals! How do you sleep?” On each double-page spread, two
beautiful and realistic illustrations provide the answer. The text is spare: “Warm
in the hay” (a calf and a foal); “Tucked in my tail” (a squirrel and a fox); “Cozy
on cushions” (a dog and a cat); “Curled in nests” (a hedgehog and a gerbil); “Deep
in dens” (a rabbit and a bear); and “Snuggled in straw” (two ducklings and a
hen). The animals are not named, but most will be familiar to adult readers if
not children. Author/illustrator Botman is from the Netherlands, and it shows
in the choices of some of the animals illustrated, such as a hedgehog and a red
squirrel, which are not native to North America. By keeping the text spare,
Botman allows readers to focus on the illustrations, which are quite lovely. They
appear to have been done with pastel crayons or some other smudgy medium, as
they have a comforting, mottled look.

A charming and very simple
introduction to animals and their sleeping habits for babies and toddlers. (Board book. 1-3)