Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Sleep Like a Tiger


Sleep Like a Tiger

 

 
Logue, M. (2012). Sleep like a tiger. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin

 

Interest Level: Preschool – Third Grade

Reading Level: 2.9 (Second Grade-Ninth Month)

Theme: Bedtime/Sleep/Imagination

Genre: Fiction

Awards: Caldecott Honor

 
Summary:

This is beautiful story of the age-old problem of getting children to sleep. The story begins with the words, Once there was a little girl who didn’t want to go to sleep even though the sun had gone away. As the events of the story unfold, the little girl (protagonist) persists in telling her parents that she is not sleepy. Her parents, who are kind and patient, move the little girl through the nighttime routine of putting on her pajamas and brushing her teeth. As the little girl climbs into bed, she asks, Does everything in the world go to sleep? As her parents describe the sleeping habits of the animals around her, the little girl embarks on a magical journey into the world of sleep.

 
Reflection:

This picture book is full of wondrous images! One could read it many times and still not see all that has been created for the reader’s enjoyment. Each page offers its own theme of color and mood. For example, one page displays deep blue colors that swirl around the little girl who appears to be the center spiral of a sleeping snail. A feeling of tranquility, warmth, and softness surrounds her. On another page, a beautiful, golden whale fills two pages as the little girl is shown sleeping on its back. One can imagine that the enormous whale is helping to take the little girl into a world of restful sleep and extraordinary dreams. Another theme that I found particularly interesting was the use of wheels throughout the book. Toys, stuffed animals, people, and even whales can be seen atop wheels. Wheels can also be seen in obscure places, as though they were purposely hidden.

 I would most certainly recommend this book to teachers and parents alike. Sleep Like a Tiger has the potential to be a wonderful instructional tool for teachers, as well as an ally to parents who have reluctant sleepers!

 Classroom Questions:

1.       Which of the animals seems most cozy? Why?

2.       Why does the brown bear have an alarm clock?

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