Sleep Like a Tiger: A Soothing Bedtime Story About Falling Asleep for Children (Ages 4–8) (Caldecott Medal - Honors Winning Title(s))

My toddler (2, approaching 3 in a few months) has been requesting this book every night for bed, despite the 15 or so sleep-centric books to choose from for nighttime reading. Before I saw this book we had been having conversations about how EVERYTHING sleeps, even trees and germs and bugs and grownups and whatever other organic life I could think of. When I came across this book I was first just excited it mentioned tigers (he had a tiger phase a while back and still enjoys them). Then I read some preview pages and the reviews and loved that it’s exactly what I’ve been talking about with him!!! As an added bonus, he is now in a bird phase (part 3 or 4…it comes and goes) and has to make a nest before he sleeps, because every night at bedtime he undergoes a transformation into a baby bird. So I LOVED the page where the girl is in her nest bed too! After reading this book, my son literally curls up and goes right to sleep. No kicking the wall, no screaming for water or Mama or that he can’t see (because his nightlight is too dim for sleeping I guess 🤷🏻‍♀️). Bliss 😌 The story is very sweet and to the point, and I enjoy that the author crafted the story in such a way that it feels more like a “big kid” book without being too lengthy or conceptual. I will also add that the art style is very cool, and I’m glad I’m really good at memorizing text because I can have a chance to find new details in the art as I half-read, half-recite the book to him! Really amazing collage work! Highly recommend this book to anyone whose child is having sleep troubles due to an imagination in hyperdrive, who also wants to gently support that imagination in a positive manner instead of screaming “IT’S TIME FOR BABY BIRDS TO SLEEP NOW, GOODNIGHTILOVEYOU!!!” through the door.

I was completely captivated by this book. The illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski are beautiful and magical, the perfect accompaniment to Mary Logue's delightful tale of an imaginative little girl who doesn't want to go to sleep and the equally imaginative parents who adore her. Just as my 4-year-old self loved looking for the mouse and watching the passage of time in the hands of the clock and the shadows creeping across the room on the pages of "Goodnight, Moon", today's children should enjoy finding all of the wonderful details on the pages of "Sleep Like a Tiger". I have a slightly different take on the characters than some of the other reviewers. I do not see this as a royal family and this child is not a princess, except perhaps in her own imagination. They live in a village in a house no more or less grand than those around it. The house is simple and cozy with few furnishings and no servants. There is a dog, a cat, and a warm fireplace, not unlike what many children grow up with. The little girl wears her crown to bed; if you look carefully little crowns and wheels appear throughout the book, a part of the artist's fanciful style. However, the beauty of a children's book is that it can be whatever you imagine so perhaps they are a king, queen and princess after all. I have both the hardbound version and the Kindle version of this book. A few words about the Kindle version ... as is true of any picture book, the Kindle version cannot replace the full size book that you can hold in your hands. However, the Kindle version is wonderfully portable for waiting rooms and such, the artwork is still lovely to look at, and your hardbound copy can stay safely at home. The formatting of the book on the Kindle is a function of the Kindle app on your device. Complaints about app functionality need to be addressed to the app developers as they are the only ones who can fix them. If you think you might be bothered by the smaller size of the pages on your tablet, the Kindle version may not be for you, but this fabulous book deserves 5 stars.

This might be my daughter's new favorite bedtime book! She is 3 and we have quite the collection of bedtime stories. We take sleep VERY seriously in our home so we are always renewing our collection of books which give a positive message about sleep and its importance. We were not at all disappointed with this book. The illustrations are more colorful and detailed than we usually like, my daughter and I usually prefer simple, gentle, and minimalist, but they are so inspiring and whimsical we could not help but fall in love. The illustrations themselves really tell several stories that go much deeper than the written words. Maybe not something a child can grasp right off the bat, but I love children's books with an element that enchants the adult reader as well. This is a great book for the family to enjoy. I can easily see an older sibling snuggling with a younger one while this book is read, and everyone enjoying the words and illustrations. The actual written story is short. With a slow, steady pace and maybe a bit of dramatic flair in your voice, you can easily extend the reading. If you aren't sure, check it out from the library first. I highly recommend at least giving it a try.

This is a lovely book that will keep the interest of your little angel. The book is wonderfully illustrated, and the story is cute. One of the challenges in the reasonable reviewer household was getting the five (formerly little, now fully grown and on their own) angels to sleep. This book helps, and it answers the question, what happens to the animals when they sleep. I love this book and look forward to sharing with the grandbabies.

You guys...my 13 month old daughter literally DEMANDS to read this book EVERY NIGHT. And you might think...gosh, that sounds super annoying to have to read the SAME book for 80 nights in a row. Except...it's not. Because this book is the most beautifully illustrated book I have ever read (side note: illustrator, Pamela Zagarenski has a line of greeting cards, Sacred Bee, that are also GORGEOUS). The narrative is also beautiful; about a little girl who doesn't want to go to sleep. And her parents? They DON'T MAKE HER. They just guide her beautifully through her bedtime routine and listen to her, and talk to her a bit about how nature works. And lo and behold, this sweet girl falls asleep. My sweet girl LOVES to point to the tiger, the moon and the little girl. I honestly hope she always loves this book.

Do you know these books that capture you from the first page? That have just the right amount of being fantastical and realistic? “Sleep like a tiger” is one of these books – maybe it is because our daughter is a lot like the little girl in this beautiful illustrated hardcover. Because the protagonist, a little girl, doesn’t want to go to sleep. She’s just not tired and not sleepy at all. The parents of this little girl are clever. She doesn’t need to go to sleep – she just has to put her pajamas on. And because it feels so nice to be clean she chooses to brush her teeth – and then slips under the cover of her bed, although she is wide awake. “Does everything go to sleep”, she asks… The little girl is positive she wants to stay awake all night long. But the dog curled up on the couch, the cat in front of the fireplace, cuddling bats, circling whales, curled up snails, cozy bears and last, but not least, the strong tiger convince her to curl up just like them – and she “fells fast – asleep”. “Sleep like a tiger” is a Caldecott honor book. The Caldecott medal is awarded annually to the artist of the most distinguished American picture book for children. It’s not surprising that the illustrations by Pamela Zagarenski were honored with the 2013 Randolph Caldecott Honor Award. The colorful pictures invite you to dream, as does Mary Logue’s story… It’s one of the books that calm down our active daughter. She doesn’t fall asleep during reading loud, but then again – who does? I’m not, no matter how tired I am… But she loves to browse through the pages on her own. And I enjoy the simple, but compelling story and the artistic illustrations. Because now matter how much you read – there are only a handful of books that are really special. This is one of them.

This is such a wonderful book! The pictures are beautiful and the story is so perfect for bedtime. We've been reading this for my oldest since he was 2.5 and he's now 4.5 and loves it maybe even more. This is a go to for bday gifts for 3 year olds.

I love everything about this book: the story, the illustrations, the way it inspire children to use their imagination! I will probably buy this as a gift for a few more children, it is that good!!! Now, if I can only find more books like this...

Libro in inglese che ha vinto una caldecott medal e a ben vedere, un confronto tra genitori e la figlia che non vuole andare a dormire e con una serie di similitudini con gli animali si addormenta. Molto belli anche i disegni

Beautiful story and beautiful illustrations. This is one of my favourite good night stories to read and my son loves it as well.

Such a lovely book, with many elements on each page to enjoy with my child.

illustrations are wonderful at first i didn't love the story but it really grows on you now he snuggles in like a bear and sleeps like a tiger every night!

My son and I love this book. A must have for every child’s book collection. Beautiful images