Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

For all but a few, the night is a foreign country.Dreams are when the world turns upside down and inside out, and Bansch does a superb job illustrating its kooky-spooky state. Here, a dozen creatures settle in for the night: the elephant in the tall grass, the bird in its nest, the cat by the stove, the bat, wrapped in a red blanket, in its cave. The artwork is a sophisticated use of collage—for instance, beautiful examples of 19th-century European cartography become tree trunks—with color deployed for special effect and spidery linework adding a creepy-crawly quality. Dark shades are complemented by snappy red tulips in the elephant's shadowy grass, and the polar bear's cave is a luminous, delicate light blue. While the text is minimal, it is also evocative: "The dog slumbers in his cozy doghouse, / and the polar bear snores loudly in his ice cave." Midbook, when the moon is full on one page and in full eclipse on the next, the book must be turned around and started from the other end. Then the youngest listeners will get the topsy-turvies of dreamtime: "But sometimes at night the elephant dreams in the bird's nest, / the cat purrs in a burrow on a cushion of hay, / and the bird lies in the tall grass." All's fair in the Land of Nod, and inviting, too. With the feel of a fine and handsome tintype, this Austrian import makes night newly beguiling. (Picture book. 2-6)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Originally published in Austria, this small-format bedtime meditation is two stories in one. In the initial arc, Bansch (Rosie the Raven) shows animals and one human boy sleeping in locations that are generally fitting: -At night, the elephant lies in the tall grass,- she begins, -the bird dreams in her airy nest, and the cat purrs behind the warm stove.- Mixed-media illustrations incorporate maps and other quirky details: as the bird sleeps, a tiny aviator tries to stay aloft using handheld wings and a hot-air balloon harness, and the -stove- that the cat curls up against looks more like a giant alien egg. Things only get odder when readers flip the book over: now the elephant is sleeping in the bird-s nest (nestled atop a house-s chimney), the cat -purrs in a burrow on a cushion of hay- that previously belonged to a rabbit, and the boy, named Manu, -sleeps on a cloud, and dreams of chocolate and raspberry ice cream.- The quiet, calming language and surreal (but never frightening) imagery may indeed pave the way for overnight dreams-strange ones, very possibly. Ages 2-6. (Aug.)

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

For all but a few, the night is a foreign country.Dreams are when the world turns upside down and inside out, and Bansch does a superb job illustrating its kooky-spooky state. Here, a dozen creatures settle in for the night: the elephant in the tall grass, the bird in its nest, the cat by the stove, the bat, wrapped in a red blanket, in its cave. The artwork is a sophisticated use of collage—for instance, beautiful examples of 19th-century European cartography become tree trunks—with color deployed for special effect and spidery linework adding a creepy-crawly quality. Dark shades are complemented by snappy red tulips in the elephant's shadowy grass, and the polar bear's cave is a luminous, delicate light blue. While the text is minimal, it is also evocative: "The dog slumbers in his cozy doghouse, / and the polar bear snores loudly in his ice cave." Midbook, when the moon is full on one page and in full eclipse on the next, the book must be turned around and started from the other end. Then the youngest listeners will get the topsy-turvies of dreamtime: "But sometimes at night the elephant dreams in the bird's nest, / the cat purrs in a burrow on a cushion of hay, / and the bird lies in the tall grass." All's fair in the Land of Nod, and inviting, too. With the feel of a fine and handsome tintype, this Austrian import makes night newly beguiling. (Picture book. 2-6)

ALA Booklist (Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

What happens to animals at night? An elephant lies in the tall grass, a bird dreams in her airy nest, the bat dangles from the cave roof, the leopard dozes on a branch, and a little boy sleeps peacefully in his bed with his toy alligator. But wait! Turn the book upside down and start again! This fanciful new direction shows that "at night sometimes" the elephant sleeps in the bird's nest, the bird lies in the tall grass, the rabbit dangles upside down from the cave roof, and the little boy sleeps on a cloud, dreaming of chocolate and raspberry ice cream. The center pages show a black full moon in eclipse on one half and an orange full moon on the other, prompting readers to turn the book upside down for another read. The palette of soft hues on each double-page spread also includes a patterned bright red ball to integrate the story. Collage backgrounds of maps and newsprint make subtle appearances in this sweet and imaginative bedtime story.

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

PreS Because bedtime leads to separation for many children, they resist it mightily. This Austrian import offers an antidote, presenting a nocturnal world in which curling up to sleep connects kids to other creatures in settings both wondrous and whimsical. Mixed-media collages in a cozy format (7" x 7") depict slumbering animals, one per page: "At night, the elephant lies in the tall grass,/the bird dreams in her airy nest,/and the cat purrs behind the warm stove." The story opens with a black sky, which provides a high-contrast background for the classical structure on the horizon and the snoozing pachyderm and red flowers in the foreground. Each textured, artfully designed composition comprises 60 percent of a spread, with much to discover. Outside the primary narrative, something unexpected occurs in the white space, e.g., ducklings snatch the dog's bowl, repurposing it as a bed. The spherical shape of the moon (shown waxing and waning throughout the tale) is picked up in an orange-red star-dotted ball that rolls through the book offering companionship and comfort. This detail and the sonorous language contribute to the lulling effect. An eclipse divides the story in half, at which point readers flip the book for the "but sometimes" portion. In this alternate universe, the elephant is draped over a nest, the rabbit hangs upside down in a cave, and Manu, the protagonist, floats on a cloud. VERDICT The concept, humor, and scenes brimming with personality justify repeated readings—well beyond bedtime.— Wendy Lukehart, District of Columbia Public Library