Horn Book (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2019)

Everyone knows that yawning is contagious--even in fantastical Never Sleeping City. Once good-natured Granny yawns, energetic young Gabby must try to rouse all the suddenly sleepy revelers around them. Visual references to Sendak's In the Night Kitchen are clear, from the lookalike font to midnight-blue hues and bustlingly busy illustrations. Levis and Pham provide a neat update, with a brown-skinned, female protagonist embarking on her surreal nighttime adventure.

Kirkus Reviews

Like many children, Gabby Wild has absolutely had enough of the tedious rituals of bedtime. Gabby asks her grandmother to take her to Never Sleeping City, and without a word of protest, inquiry, or declaration, Granny agrees. In this imagined place, there are no lullabies, no sheep to count, and the No Sleeping Inn, where "our lights are always on." Granny and Gabby head to the carnival, and as they ride on a coffee-mug Ferris wheel, it begins to happen…Granny starts to yawn. Gabby soon learns that once a yawn starts, there's little to prevent it, and before they know it, Granny's yawn is swirling all over the city, affecting all who come in its path. To her horror, the brown-skinned protagonist with thick free-form locs has only one place left to turn: "YOU." In an interactive twist, Gabby asks readers not to fall asleep—after all, "This is NOT a bedtime story!" But it's far too late; the yawn has proven itself effective not only on readers, but on the protagonist as well. Though the story is set at night, the Sendak-ian artwork remains bright with pops of color that give a buoyancy to the city and its memorable inhabitants, who are both human and animal. In one scene a gorilla and a black man walk side by side holding ice cream cones, an image that may lift some eyebrows.The lively portrayal more than makes up for the most extended yawn depicted in a picture book. (Picture book. 5-8)

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

Gabby Wild has a missing tooth, brown skin, and beaded -click-clacky hair,- and she has had it with sleep. She convinces her grandmother to take her to Never Sleeping City, where neon lights blink, the streets hop with revelers, and everyone stays up all night long. But somehow, on the Ferris wheel, Granny yawns-and yawns, of course, are contagious. -Grit your teeth, seal your lips!- Gabby cries, as the misty blue yawn flies into the night and people start dropping off in its wake. Dashing through the town after it, Gabby makes a ruckus, hijacks an opera performance, and collars the mayor, but it-s no use. Before long, the unthinkable has happened, and Gabby is exhaling zzz-s. Text by Levis (Ida, Always) crackles, and show-stopping artwork by Pham (Grace for President) is great fun. In affectionate homage to In the Night Kitchen (and maybe to Little Nemo before it), Gabby pilots her own plane into panels of dreamlike urban landscapes filled with carnival characters and vaudevillian antics; other picture book Easter eggs await. Ages 4-8. (Oct.)

School Library Journal (Mon Oct 01 00:00:00 CDT 2018)

PreS-Gr 2 Gabby Wild is sick of Sleepytown. So, when it's time for bed, she begs her granny to take her some place awake! Instead of settling down, the two jet out to Never Sleeping City, a bustling metropolis with a band, an opera, and even a carnival. Gabby and Granny have a blast exploring the sightsuntil Granny lets loose a yawn that travels through the town. Gabby chases after it, trying to stop the yawn before it puts everyone in Never Sleeping City out of commission. But each time the yawn sweeps through a part of the town, its residents are left snoring. Levis has created a thoroughly engaging bedtime read that will have little ones fighting back yawns of their own, and Pham's illustrations are an excellent accompaniment. Gabby leaps off the page in pursuit of the soothing blue yawn that turns the bustling and busy streets of Never Sleeping City cozy and calm. With a combination of eye-catching illustrations and entertaining text, this engaging picture book is a fantastic read-aloud that encourages plenty of participation. VERDICT Snap it up for pajama storytime or for bedtime reads displays or shelves. Mimi Powell, Library Systems and Services, Kissimmee, FL