While You're Asleep

by Emmy Kastner

In the spirit of The Panda Problem , this “funny, raucous, and ultimately satisfying” (Mac Barnett, New York Times bestselling author) meta picture book shows what both diurnal and nocturnal animals get up to while you’re asleep.

When the Earth slowly spins and light fades away, animals hunker down for bedtime. But the narrator’s cozy story is interrupted by fireflies flickering, raccoons enjoying chicken dinners, and foxes planning a nighttime festival. The narrator eventually gives up trying to get the nocturnal creatures to go to sleep like everyone else as skunks, beavers, and more gather for a midnight soiree you’d have to see to believe…if you weren’t asleep!

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Storytime, Childrens, Humor, Nature, Juvenile

48 pages, Hardcover

Published March 26, 2024

About the author

I've drawn many pictures of dogs and monsters in my life, many of which you could find on the edges of math homework and science tests. I've always been a storyteller, learning the art of exaggeration early on.

My husband and I live in Kalamazoo, Michigan with our three young kids. I’m forever looking to be surrounded by books, food and laughter (in any order). I spend my days in my studio that lives above our coffee shop, Factory Coffee.

As a former classroom teacher, I taught high school English Language Arts, Biology, and Integrated Science. I'm cofounder of Read and Write Kalamazoo (RAWK) — a literacy-focused nonprofit modeled after 826 National. RAWK is devoted to celebrating and amplifying youth voices through the cultivation of reading and writing skills, via joy, creativity, equity and access.

Find my picture book series, Nerdy Babies (Space, Ocean, Rocks and Weather; Roaring Brook Press/Macmillan Children’s Books) wherever books are sold.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Multiple phrases. Describes what multiple animals do at night, including bunnies, sea otters, bats, raccoons, dung beetles, and aardvarks. Has a humorous tone - the narrator breaks in, saying they were trying to make a rhyme or that they want to skip the trout because it's creeping them out, or that they forgot that not all animals sleep at night and some are nocturnal. Ends with a cute little animal party with all the various animals doing human things - dancing, painting, baking, playing the banjo, and leading everyone east?? A bit of a strange book, but funny. Fitting that the book is "Dedicated to cozy bedtimes and strange little dreams." Illustrations are cute and have a drawn/painted by hand quality.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually quite surprising. Starts off like a cozy bedtime story with cute animals falling asleep but then suddenly you are interrupted by nocturnal animals doing funny things. The narrator is taken off guard and actually it becomes quite funny. Geared for a school age or perhaps preschool age group. Fun lapsit also.

[Peacegal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wacky bedtime story keeps getting interrupted by nocturnal animals who decide that the dark is the time to play, dance, even dress up--not go to sleep. Very cute illustrations. I especially liked the page with the bats in their flashy jewelry and silly eveningwear.

[Stefanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

While You're Asleep is a sweet exploration of all the animals that are asleep when you are until it isn't, and then what fun it becomes! There are lots of interruptions from nocturnal animals, some realistic and some not so much. This delightful book is bound to make for an inquisitive bedtime.

[Y.Poston]

a delightfully interrupted bedtime story

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Calista · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is trying to put your kids asleep. It’s cute. It talks about all the animals going to sleep and then we’ll see a raccoon that is just waking up. It goes back and forth like this. They cover many of the nocturnal animals. They are having a party together by the end. The author is still trying to get the kids to sleep.

The artwork is acrylic gouache, watercolor, and colored pencils and the put together digitally. The animals are so cute. They really are. Kids will love this book. I love the bats all dressed up to the nine’s going dancing. It’s a cozy feel to it. The art does sort of want to lull you to sleep in a good way.

I think any kid that loves cute animals will enjoy this story.

[Nicole Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book for my honest opinion.    

  At first this book seems like a sleeping book and it is... but it also is not and very funny. The narrator starts off with sleepy animals but quickly forgets the nocturnal ones who start showing up to start doing their nighttime things. The illustrations are cute and the text funny and fun, especially as the narrator becomes baffled and tired. A great book to talk about nocturnal animals and that everybody sleeps... eventually.

[Roben · Rating 4 out of 5]

The sun has set and it's time for bed. Time to read a soothing, rhyming bedtime book about all the cute little sleeping animals. Except... not all animals sleep at night! Those nocturnal really know how to shake things up!

This was very cute! It would make a fun read aloud for an evening story time. Be sure to peek under the dust jacket - the book cover is very different!

[Cherish Brown · Rating 2 out of 5]

(2☆ Got something out of, but lacking some things)
I liked the concept of the book, but wasn't a big fan of how it was delivered. I felt like the parts where the author talks to the audience & breaks the fourth wall were super disruptive. I feel like they could have been smoother transitions. The book was hard to follow because of the flow.

[Dinah King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is this Bedtime Story satire? If so, i want more 😂
Everyone sleeps at night, and so should you! Except for fireflies. And bats. And raccoons. A lesson in nocturnal creatures and not dealing in absolutes

[Anthony · Rating 4 out of 5]

While reading a bedtime story about animals getting cozy and comfortable for a good night's sleep, the author keeps getting interrupted by several nocturnal animals who wander onto the pages of the book, and into the story. A fun read out-loud book!

[Effie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book because it seemed like a sweet bedtime story. I started to feel like it was a little overblown and then we came upon some nocturnal animals and everything changed. I loved it. I thought it was genuinely funny.

[Eadrinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

An oddly-formatted story about going to bed. It starts like the typical animal bedtime story, but cuts in to mention those still awake before having animals throwing a party in clothes…that is supposed to catch your child’s attention IF they are still awake.

[Maya Asia ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute little book with cute little dreams

[Jenni Heins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really was surprised by how much I liked this one. A youngster can learn about nocturnal animals while being completely entertained. It would be a fun read-aloud.

[Bookishrealm · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS CUTE! And it's a perfect read aloud for those who enjoy doing storytime. It's a little different than your typical bedtime story and adds some fun twists and turns.

[Nicole M. Hewitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved how this book tricked you into thinking it was going to be a sweet, lyrical, rhyming picture book and then broke out of its mold every time you got to the non-sleeping animals. Very cute!!

[Kristine · Rating 5 out of 5]

THESE ILLUSTRATIONS ARE TRULY SUCH A DELIGHT.

[Kelsey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a funny book with really cute illustrations!

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you Bethany!

[Kelly]

I actually liked this book. I thought it was going to be a bedtime book but it's actually a silly book about bedtime and nocturnal animals and animals being sneaky.

[Maeve · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book funny and charming. Definitely a fun read for adults and kids.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Found in L4L Volume 126.

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book to read to children to show them what is happening in nature to animals while they are asleep. Which ones sleep at night and which are active at night while the child sleeps.

[Emily Haage · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute and funny bedtime read. Travel all over the world to say goodnight to sleeping animals, only to be interrupted by nocturnal creatures. Lovely illustrations.

[Christine Barth · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was clever and fun. I generally don't like when a rhyming book stops rhyming but it played up the mischief of the nocturnal creatures. Simple book, but beautifully illustrated.

[Viviana · Rating 2 out of 5]

Art's better than the book. Art is adorable

[Claire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Funny. It's nice to see the nocturnal animals getting some of the story. I loved the animals dancing at the end!

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is just wonderful. The illustrations, the different animals and their activities.