A tired penguin perched atop the head of a gentle, goofy lion wants some sleep, but the lion is wide awake: "Tell me a story, Penguin." Penguin, whose eyes are barely open, promises a story later and falls asleep. Bright digital illustrations convey Penguin's detailed dream world in gauzy bursts of color, contrasting with the stark white backgrounds of consciousness when a loud noise startles Penguin awake. Lion feigns innocence ("Oh, Penguin! Are you awake?"), but the page-turn reveals Lion sitting behind a betraying drum set. The situation escalates: Penguin keeps falling asleep, Lion keeps interfering -- crunching on a loud snack, bouncing on a trampoline. The art deftly moves the story (all in dialogue with alternating font colors for the two characters) between dreams and reality. The animated Lion, eagerly prodding for more dream details ("Sounds magical! Tell me every little thing"), makes a funny and irresistible foil to the exhausted, frustrated Penguin. In the end, Penguin relents and tells Lion a story...about a sleepy penguin who tells a lion a story. Lion declares this story lazy, but it does the trick. Lion falls asleep, and the two friends share rainbow dreams of puppies, unicorns, and candy together at last. This contentious going-to-sleep sequence between two appealing characters has all the right ingredients for sharing aloud, whether it is time for bed or simply time for a story.

“Tell me a story, Penguin,” says a large yellow lion to the little black-and-white bird perched upon its head. An aurora-like swirl of colors hangs over Penguin’s sleepy self, a clear indication that slumber is imminent, so the bird refuses: “Now is the time we close our eyes and dream sweet dreams. I will tell you a story when we are awake.” But each time Penguin drifts off into a wonderful dream—befriending a candy-making robot, riding a unicorn, conducting a puppy train—Lion yanks the bird back into the waking world. The feline plays drums, crunches on chips, and even jumps on a trampoline, all while insisting that it’s not intentionally trying to keep Penguin up (“I’m always quiet. I’m basically a mouse”). Jarvis (Together with You) riffs on impeccable comic beats from Shea (Chez Bob) using naif-style digital artwork whose elements feel handmade—Lion’s circular mane embodies crayon-like textures, while Penguin is rendered in what looks like feathered ink. It’s a funny, visually playful bedtime battle of wills in which both beings get the resolution of their dreams. Ages 3–5. (Apr.)