Horn Book (Thu Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

Bonwill presents a series of interconnected rhymes about sleep: one about mermaids lulled by waves leads to one about "those same waves" that carry ships sailed by pirates "abed in bunks, asleep on trunks," and so on. The rat-a-tat rhymes are the work of a pro, and illustrators Johnson and Fancher make every spread a gorgeous, fantastical sleepscape.

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

In a distinctive twist on the going-to-bed theme, Bonwill (I Don-t Want to be a Pea!) promises that the creatures of fairy tales and storybooks go to sleep just as children do. The verse holds few surprises, but it-s sturdy and evocative: -When mermaids sleep in oceans deep/ inside their coral caves,/ they lay their heads on seaweed beds,/ rocked softly by the waves,- she begins, as Johnson and Fancher (One Frozen Lake) offer a spread of two mermaids slumbering on a bed of coral, splashed with vivid pinks, limes, and lavenders that pop against the midnight blue of the ocean. Further on, pirates sleep against the gunwales of their ship, a mother and baby unicorn doze in a forest carpeted with light blue and pink leaves, and faeries sleep curled up in flower blossoms, bathed in moonlight. Sound asleep, Johnson and Fancher-s characters don-t engage readers; instead, they signal -don-t disturb.- Readers who intrude on them may feel the best thing to do is to turn the page and tiptoe on. Ages 3-5. Author-s agent: Marietta Zacker, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. (May)

School Library Journal (Mon Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2013)

K-Gr 2 Mermaids are sleeping in coral caves and, in that same water, pirates are snoring in their ship. In the trunks below deck, genies dream on sand in their lamps; that sand was also used to build sand castles where sea serpents sleep. The magical world is at rest: unicorns, giants, goblins, and dwarves. Readers discover that under the same moon where fairies are slumbering is a dreaming child. In this bedtime story, it is the illustrations that shine. The palette, while muted, is still lush and full. Collage is used to great effect to create texture; readers will be tempted to run their hands over the pages, hoping to feel the mountains and trees themselves. The full-bleed artwork spreads over two pages; one can almost imagine that the world extends past the confines of the layout. The dreamlike fantasy world is captured expertly. Unfortunately, the text is not as successful; the rhyming pattern is singsongy and the lines are often forced. They combine to make a challenging read-aloud; it is easy to trip over the words and the story becomes muddled and confusing. With stunning artwork like this, it is a shame that the text isn't stronger. Laura Lutz, Pratt Institute, New York City