Sleep Like a Tiger

Last updated
Sleep Like a Tiger
Cover art fair use.jpg
Author Mary Logue
Illustrator Pamela Zagarenski
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Genre Picture book
Publisher HMH Books for Young Readers
Publication date
October 23, 2012
Media typePrint
Pages40 pp
ISBN 0547641028

Sleep Like a Tiger, written by Mary Logue and illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, is a 2012 picture book published by HMH Books for Young Readers. Sleep Like a Tiger was a Caldecott Medal Honor Book in 2013. [1] Other works of Zagarenski are Red Sings from Treetops: A Year in Colors , which was also a Caldecott Medal Honor Book in 2010, and This Is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness, which is a 2008 Lee Bennett Hopkins Poetry Award Honor Book.

Contents

Description

The story, written by Logue, told in present tense, is a fiction book of 40 pages that follows a very awake little girl asking her parents if everything goes to sleep. The illustrations by Zagarenski show a family surrounded by images of crowns and ornate patterns while the parents coax the little girl to bed. [2] It is a whimsical story with universal appeal. Most of the text is found at the beginning of the book, allowing kids to become drowsy as the story continues making this book a perfect bed time story. Sleep Like a Tiger also uses different analogies to relate animals and their sleep behaviors to those of the little girl. . [3] The parents in this book practice the psychological art of paradoxical intention, realizing that instead of forcing the little girl to go to sleep they let her naturally relax in bed knowing that sleep will come. [4]

Plot

Starting with the old adage "Once there was a little girl..." you come across a little girl and her parents, all wearing crowns. The little girl is wide awake claiming she is not tired. Her parents take this almost as a regular occurrence and require that she at least put on her pajamas, wash her face, brush her teeth. The little girl keeps repeating that she is not tired but climbs into bed and under the sheets since that is where she is the most comfortable. She then proceeds to ask her parents if everything thing goes to sleep. The parents then proceed to go through a list of animals and their habits of sleeping. They discuss the family dog, the cat, bats, snails, bears, and whales. The little girl proclaims that she knows an animal that sleeps a lot. We then finally come across the tiger in the jungle, where the little girl tells her parents that he sleeps to stay strong. The parents agree that sleep is good to stay strong then say goodnight even though the little girl claims she is still not sleepy. Her parents know what will happen and agree that she can stay awake all night long. After the long discussion, the little girl goes through all the processes that the animals go through and ends up fast asleep.

Critical reception

Sleep Like a Tiger was published to very strong reviews. Kirkus Reviews claim that Zagarenski's illustrations are the perfect backdrop to the stories lyrical quality, with her use of different textures, busy lines, and tiny details, observant readers will be pleasantly rewarded. [5] Zagarenski usually has objects hidden in her illustrations having readers take closer looks and finding new objects even after the tenth time reading it, provides entertainment for both children and parents. Her work is a perfect combination of digitally created art and mixed media on wood. [6] The Washington Post claims that Zagarenski's soft-toned dreamscapes of moons and stars and toys perfectly match the lyrical text and magnifies the mood. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>A Visit to William Blakes Inn</i>

A Visit to William Blake's Inn: Poems for Innocent and Experienced Travelers is a children's picture book written by Nancy Willard and illustrated by Alice and Martin Provensen, published by Harcourt Brace in 1981. The next year Willard won the annual Newbery Medal and the Provensens were one runner-up for the Caldecott Medal from the professional children's librarians. William Blake's Inn was the first Newbery-winning book to also be named a Caldecott Honor Book. Last Stop on Market Street later won the 2016 Newbery Medal and a Caldecott Honor.

<i>The Hello, Goodbye Window</i>

The Hello, Goodbye Window is a children's picture book written by Norton Juster and illustrated by Chris Raschka. Published in 2005, the book tells the story of a little girl who enjoys visiting her grandparents. Raschka won the 2006 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations.

Barbara Cooney was an American writer and illustrator of 110 children's books, published over sixty years. She received two Caldecott Medals for her work on Chanticleer and the Fox (1958) and Ox-Cart Man (1979), and a National Book Award for Miss Rumphius (1982). Her books have been translated into 10 languages.

Nonny Hogrogian is an Armenian-American writer and illustrator, known best for children's picture books. She has won two annual Caldecott Medals for U.S. children's book illustrations. Since childhood she prefers folk and fairy tales, poetry, fantasy and stories.

<i>Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper</i>

Cinderella, or the Little Glass Slipper is a book illustrated by Marcia Brown. Released by Scribner Press, the book is a retelling of the story of Cinderella as written by Charles Perrault, and was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1955. The book takes place in France, in a palace similar to other Cinderella stories.

<i>The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses</i> Childrens picture book by Paul Goble

The Girl Who Loved Wild Horses, written and illustrated by Paul Goble, is a children's picture book originally released by Bradbury Press in 1978. It was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1979. As of 1993, the book has been published by Simon & Schuster.

<i>Saint George and the Dragon</i> (book)

Saint George and the Dragon is a book written by Margaret Hodges and illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman. Released by Little, Brown, it was the recipient of the Caldecott Medal for illustration in 1985. The text is adapted from Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene.

<i>Lon Po Po</i> Book by Ed Young

Lon Po Po: A Red-Riding Hood Story from China is a children's picture book translated and illustrated by Ed Young. It was published by Philomel in 1989. Young won the 1990 Caldecott Medal for the book's illustrations.

<i>The Lion & the Mouse</i> 2009 picture book by Jerry Pinkney

The Lion & the Mouse is a 2009 nearly wordless picture book illustrated by Jerry Pinkney that tells Aesop's fable of The Lion and the Mouse. In the story, a mouse's life is a spared by a lion. Later, after the lion is trapped, the mouse is able to set the lion free. Adapting the fable, with the moral that the weak can help the strong, as a wordless picture book was seen as a successful way of overcoming the brief plot generally found in the source stories. While it was Pinkney's first wordless picture book, it was not the first time he had told the story, having previously included it in his Aesop's Fables, published in 2000. Pinkney, who had received five Caldecott Honors, became the first African American to win the Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book. His illustrations were generally praised for their realism and sense of place. The cover illustrations, featuring the title characters but no text, drew particular praise.

<i>A Sick Day for Amos McGee</i> Book by Erin E. Stead

A Sick Day for Amos McGee is a 2011 children's picture book written by Philip C. Stead and illustrated by Erin E. Stead. The book depicts a zookeeper who has bonded with the animals he cares for and who come and visit him one day when he gets sick. Phillip Stead wrote the book hoping his wife Erin would illustrate it after a period where she had become discouraged with her art. The book was well reviewed, and Erin won the 2011 Caldecott Medal for her illustrations. The book received praise for its woodblock illustrations and for its message about what friends will do to help and support each other.

<i>A Ball for Daisy</i> Childrens picture book by Chris Raschka

A Ball for Daisy is a 2011 children's wordless picture book written and illustrated by Chris Raschka. The book tells the story of a dog named Daisy, who has a beloved ball destroyed and then replaced. Raschka won the 2012 Caldecott Medal for his illustrations in the book. The creation of the book took years but was praised for its ability to evoke emotion in the reader.

<i>A Very Special House</i>

A Very Special House, written by Ruth Krauss and illustrated by Maurice Sendak, is a 1953 picture book published by HarperCollins. A Very Special House was a Caldecott Medal Honor Book for 1954 and was Sendak's first Caldecott Honor Medal of a total of seven during his career. Sendak won the Caldecott Medal in 1964 for Where the Wild Things Are, which he both authored and Illustrated. A Very Special House was re-issued by HarperCollins in 2001 in hardcover format as part of a project to re-issue 22 Sendak works including several authored by Ruth Krauss.

<i>This is Not My Hat</i> Childrens picture book by Jon Klassen

This Is Not My Hat is a 2012 children's picture book by the author and illustrator Jon Klassen. The story is told through the unreliable narration of a little fish, who has stolen a hat from a big fish and how the big fish reacts to the theft. It is a thematic follow-up to I Want My Hat Back and was meant to be a more literal sequel until Klassen took a suggestion to change which animals were in the story. The book was well received by critics who praised its dark or ironic humor which could only be understood by comparing the words of the little fish's narration against the events of the illustrations. In addition to several positive reviews, Klassen won the 2013 Caldecott Medal and the 2014 Kate Greenaway Medal becoming the first book to win both awards. This is Not My Hat was also a commercial success.

<i>Umbrella</i> (childrens book)

Umbrella by Taro Yashima is a children's picture book that was named the 1959 Caldecott Honor Book. It was originally published in 1958 then later reprinted in August 1977 by Puffin Books.

<i>Wolf in the Snow</i> 2017 wordless picture book

Wolf in the Snow is a 2017 wordless picture book by Matthew Cordell. The book was favorably received by critics and won the 2018 Caldecott Award. The story has drawn comparisons to fairy tales like Little Red Riding Hood. The nearly wordless book tells the story of a girl and wolf who each get lost in the snowstorm. Cordell used distinctive illustration techniques for the girl and the wolf.

<i>A Different Pond</i> 2017 picture book by Bao Phi and illustrated by Thi Bui

A Different Pond is a 2017 children's picture book by Bao Phi, illustrated by Thi Bui. The book tells the story of a boy and his father going fishing. Phi created the book because of his desire to have books about people like himself to read to his daughter. Bui's detailed illustrations allowed Phi to remove elements of the prose. Bui, who had never illustrated a traditional picture book before, won praise for her use of colors and was recognized with a 2018 Caldecott Honor. The book received positive reviews and appeared on best of 2017 book lists.

<i>Grand Canyon</i> (book) 2017 picture book by Jason Chin

Grand Canyon by Jason Chin is a 2017 children's picture book. The book tells about the plants, animals and habitats of the Grand Canyon, both now and in the past, using the premise of a hiking trip there. The inspiration for the book was a trip in high school; Chin had originally conceived of a Grand Canyon origin story. The book marked the first time Chin used die cuts, in addition to his normal use of pen and ink, watercolors, and gouache. The book was awarded a 2018 Caldecott Honor for its illustrations and a 2018 Sibert Honor for its informative text. Grand Canyon is one of only a few non-fiction books that are not biographies to be recognized by the Caldecott.

<i>A Big Mooncake for Little Star</i> Picture book by Grace Lin

A Big Mooncake for Little Star is a 2018 picture book written and illustrated by Grace Lin. The story is about Little Star gradually eating the mooncake that her mother has baked. The book was a departure for Lin both thematically and in her use of illustrative style. The book was well reviewed and was awarded a Caldecott Honor. The illustrations feature heavy use of black and rely on both the pictures and words to convey the story and its themes.

<i>Bear Came Along</i> 2019 picture book

Bear Came Along is a 2019 picture book by Richard T. Morris and illustrated by LeUyen Pham. It tells the story of a group of animals on a river adventure. Published on June 1, 2019, Bear Came Along was based on memories Morris had of going to overnight camp for the first time. The watercolors, ink, and gouache illustrations Pham created were special for her. Critics wrote about her ability to juggle several different tones through the pictures. These illustrations were also generally seen as complementing the book's theme of being connected to others. The book was generally well reviewed and it received a 2020 Caldecott honor.

Susan Marie Guevara is an American sculptor and illustrator, who is best known for her illustrations in picture books. She was born in Walnut Creek, California and now lives in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Susan received a BFA in illustration from Academy of Art College in San Francisco. She took time off between her first and second years and moved to Belgium where she was able to study with Remy Van Sluys and take painting and drawing classes at Royal Academy of Fine Art. She was the first recipient of the Pura Belpré Medal Award in 1996 for Gary Soto's Chat's Kitchen. She won again in 2002 for Gary Soto's Chato and the Party Animals, and was a recipient of a Pura Belpré Honor Award for Susan Elya Middleton's Little Roja Riding Hood.

References

  1. "Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) Caldecott Medal & Honor Books, 1938 to present" (PDF). Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  2. Vanca, Lynn (Dec 2012). "Sleep Like a Tiger". School Library Journal. 58 (12): 94.
  3. Smith, R.L. "Sleep Like a Tiger". Academic Search Complete. Horn Book Magazine. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  4. Heffron, Thomas M. "Sleep Like a Tiger: Book review". Sleep Education. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  5. Danielson, Julie. "SLEEP LIKE A TIGER". Kirkus Reviews. Retrieved 9 May 2016.
  6. Vanca, Lynn (Dec 2012). "Sleep Like a Tiger". School Library Journal. 58 (12): 94.
  7. Jemtegaard, Kristi Elle. "'Sleep Like a Tiger,' by Mary Logue and Pamela Zagarenski". The Washington Post. Retrieved 16 May 2016.