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Sleepy: Surprising Ways Animals Snooze
From award-winning author Jennifer Ward and Caldecott Honor illustrator Robin Page, this nonfiction picture book interweaves informative poems and prose to show the many different ways animals snooze!
Just like people, all animals need sleep, but not all animals sleep in the same way. When dolphins sleep, half their brain stays awake. Snakes sleep with their eyes open. Giraffes sleep in five-minute intervals, while koalas sleep for twenty-two hours a day! From grizzly bears to hummingbirds, there are creatures of all sizes and habitats to wish a good night in this cozy and compelling book.
Just like people, all animals need sleep, but not all animals sleep in the same way. When dolphins sleep, half their brain stays awake. Snakes sleep with their eyes open. Giraffes sleep in five-minute intervals, while koalas sleep for twenty-two hours a day! From grizzly bears to hummingbirds, there are creatures of all sizes and habitats to wish a good night in this cozy and compelling book.
32 pages, Hardcover
First published July 9, 2024
63 people want to read
About the author
Jennifer Ward
113 books42 followersJennifer Ward is the author of more than 25 award-winning nonfiction and fiction books for children and adults.
Her books have been translated into many languages and featured in Martha Stewart's Living, Ranger Rick, on NPR, television's Animal Planet network, and on many popular blogs such as Soule Mama.
Most of Jennifer's books are inspired by science and nature and artfully combine elements of STEM & literacy.
She writes full-time from her home in Illinois where she lives with her husband and two dogs and is easily distracted by everything outside of her windows - particularly if it has feathers!
Her books have been translated into many languages and featured in Martha Stewart's Living, Ranger Rick, on NPR, television's Animal Planet network, and on many popular blogs such as Soule Mama.
Most of Jennifer's books are inspired by science and nature and artfully combine elements of STEM & literacy.
She writes full-time from her home in Illinois where she lives with her husband and two dogs and is easily distracted by everything outside of her windows - particularly if it has feathers!
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 29, 2025
I located this book on the Nonfiction wakelet on the National Science Teaching Association website. Sleepy: Surprising Ways Animals Snooze was published in 2024. This book was listed on the Cooperative Children's Book Council Choices, named a Bank Street College of Education Best Books of the Year, and also recognized as an NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended Book. I watched a YouTube video of this book being read aloud by the author, Jennifer Ward.
In Sleepy: Surprising Ways Animals Snooze, each two-page spread features a different animal and shows how it sleeps. Every animal is accompanied by a short, rhythmic poem alongside a small block of scientific explanation at the bottom of the page. The illustrations are full body, often depicting the animal in its characteristic “sleeping pose,” and the soft, inviting colors make the book visually comforting. At the back of the book, readers will find definitions of scientific sleep terms as well as pie charts comparing how long each animal sleeps versus stays awake.
This book works well for grades K–2. It can be used to introduce students to rhythmic poetry, encouraging them to identify the rhymes on each page. Using the pie charts at the back, students can compare how much different animals sleep and even create their own charts for their favorite animals. Additionally, students can write their own “animal sleep” poems or research an animal and write facts about how it sleeps.
In Sleepy: Surprising Ways Animals Snooze, each two-page spread features a different animal and shows how it sleeps. Every animal is accompanied by a short, rhythmic poem alongside a small block of scientific explanation at the bottom of the page. The illustrations are full body, often depicting the animal in its characteristic “sleeping pose,” and the soft, inviting colors make the book visually comforting. At the back of the book, readers will find definitions of scientific sleep terms as well as pie charts comparing how long each animal sleeps versus stays awake.
This book works well for grades K–2. It can be used to introduce students to rhythmic poetry, encouraging them to identify the rhymes on each page. Using the pie charts at the back, students can compare how much different animals sleep and even create their own charts for their favorite animals. Additionally, students can write their own “animal sleep” poems or research an animal and write facts about how it sleeps.
November 18, 2025
A lovely, well researched book useful for all library collections and a great nonfiction rotation for bedtime reading. Useful and engaging back matter.
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July 25, 2024Rhyming text, well crafted page turns and beautiful illustrations create a fantastic read aloud nonfiction for kids. From hummingbirds that cling to branches in a deep sleep, sea otters who float while they nap, or nurse sharks cuddled on the ocean floor, this book takes you around the globe to pop in on interesting animals and their sleepy habits. The text has two layers. One is highly read aloud-able with rhyming words and a few lines that quickly share interesting information about the unusual ways different kinds of animals sleep. There is an additional paragraph of text on each page for kids who want to learn more about each animal and the way they sleep. Highly read able and informative, this is great nonfiction for animal fans.
July 5, 2024
Gentle tones lead to calming moments, while the wide variety of sleep in the animal world comes to light.
Dolphins, elephants, tortoises, and more are visited in these pages as they slumber in their form of sleep. Many of the creatures are familiar but others are lesser known, offering a wide variety for young listeners/readers to explore. Each animal is given a two-page spread with a four-lined verse to describe something about their sleeping habits in a gentle, flowing rhythm. On the very right hand side, a repetitive phrase 'If you're a...' invites to flip to the next page to find the name of the next animal. While the poetic atmosphere draws listeners into the calming scenes, a short paragraph of information surrounding the science behind the type of sleep stands in the lower, left-hand corner. This is written in a smaller font and carries a few difficult terms for either adults to share with their children or for older readers to explore on their own. At the very end of the book, the definition of the specific terms is explained and a visual comparison between the various animals' sleeping/waking hours is given. It's a lovely way to round things off.
The rhymes are written with the intended age group in mind and offer a lovely read either for bedtime or simply for those, who enjoy visiting the various animals. These flow nicely and work well as a read aloud. These are accompanied by a big and enjoyable illustration of the mentioned animal. These remain the main focus and are easy to recognize. It's enjoyable to flip through these and visit each one again and again. The information in the corner is written in a smaller font, which makes it a bit more difficult to read. I would have found it helpful to have this in its own little box to make it clear, right away, that this was separate from the rhyme, but it works well as it is, too.
This is a well-done book, which offers more than just a simple, nighttime read and offers a few facts listeners are sure to enjoy and, maybe, share their knowledge with others. I received a complimentary copy and found the mix of bedtime story and animal facts well done.
Dolphins, elephants, tortoises, and more are visited in these pages as they slumber in their form of sleep. Many of the creatures are familiar but others are lesser known, offering a wide variety for young listeners/readers to explore. Each animal is given a two-page spread with a four-lined verse to describe something about their sleeping habits in a gentle, flowing rhythm. On the very right hand side, a repetitive phrase 'If you're a...' invites to flip to the next page to find the name of the next animal. While the poetic atmosphere draws listeners into the calming scenes, a short paragraph of information surrounding the science behind the type of sleep stands in the lower, left-hand corner. This is written in a smaller font and carries a few difficult terms for either adults to share with their children or for older readers to explore on their own. At the very end of the book, the definition of the specific terms is explained and a visual comparison between the various animals' sleeping/waking hours is given. It's a lovely way to round things off.
The rhymes are written with the intended age group in mind and offer a lovely read either for bedtime or simply for those, who enjoy visiting the various animals. These flow nicely and work well as a read aloud. These are accompanied by a big and enjoyable illustration of the mentioned animal. These remain the main focus and are easy to recognize. It's enjoyable to flip through these and visit each one again and again. The information in the corner is written in a smaller font, which makes it a bit more difficult to read. I would have found it helpful to have this in its own little box to make it clear, right away, that this was separate from the rhyme, but it works well as it is, too.
This is a well-done book, which offers more than just a simple, nighttime read and offers a few facts listeners are sure to enjoy and, maybe, share their knowledge with others. I received a complimentary copy and found the mix of bedtime story and animal facts well done.
August 16, 2024
This lovely book explores the many different ways animals sleep!
Just a few examples -
Dolphins have to breathe while they sleep so half their brain stays awake while the other half rests.
Otters hold hands and wrap their bodies in kelp so they won't float away from their group (or raft) when they sleep.
Koalas sleep 22 hours a day while giraffes nap for five minutes at a time. Elephants sleep in a similar fashion (polyphasic) and may only sleep a total of two hours a day.
The format of the book makes it accessible to multiple age levels. There are short rhymes about each animal which provide the basics while more in depth information is found in smaller print. There is quite a bit of scientific information and terminology included in the small print but lots of definitions at the end of the book to reinforce what was learned.
More sleep information is included at the end of the book along with pie charts that show how long the animals mentioned sleep in a day. And the author also includes selected sources.
This was very interesting information! As always - I learned things I did not know.
Just a few examples -
Dolphins have to breathe while they sleep so half their brain stays awake while the other half rests.
Otters hold hands and wrap their bodies in kelp so they won't float away from their group (or raft) when they sleep.
Koalas sleep 22 hours a day while giraffes nap for five minutes at a time. Elephants sleep in a similar fashion (polyphasic) and may only sleep a total of two hours a day.
The format of the book makes it accessible to multiple age levels. There are short rhymes about each animal which provide the basics while more in depth information is found in smaller print. There is quite a bit of scientific information and terminology included in the small print but lots of definitions at the end of the book to reinforce what was learned.
More sleep information is included at the end of the book along with pie charts that show how long the animals mentioned sleep in a day. And the author also includes selected sources.
This was very interesting information! As always - I learned things I did not know.
October 27, 2024
3 stars (I liked it)
Lots of information about different ways animals sleep. each page has a few rhyming lines about the animal and then smaller, more detailed, text explaining more. I really like the way brumation, torpor etc. are explained at the end (This actually helped me understand the different terms more as I hear/read them at the zoo but didn't totally understand the difference). The infographic showing the sleep and wake hours for each animal was also really cool.
This is going to sound really nitpicky after all that positive but the thing that I hated about this book was the "If you were a..." at the end of each page to be continued on the next page. Like I guess it's a ploy to keep readers turning the page but I found it cloying.
Lots of information about different ways animals sleep. each page has a few rhyming lines about the animal and then smaller, more detailed, text explaining more. I really like the way brumation, torpor etc. are explained at the end (This actually helped me understand the different terms more as I hear/read them at the zoo but didn't totally understand the difference). The infographic showing the sleep and wake hours for each animal was also really cool.
This is going to sound really nitpicky after all that positive but the thing that I hated about this book was the "If you were a..." at the end of each page to be continued on the next page. Like I guess it's a ploy to keep readers turning the page but I found it cloying.
December 14, 2024
NCTE Orbis Picture Award "Recommended Book" 2024
With lyrical, rhyming text, this would be easy to READ ALOUD in a PreK-1st grade classroom. After reading aloud, return to favorite pages and read aloud the smaller-print non-narrative text that goes into more detail about how each animal sleeps. I could also see making this book available in older grades for RESEARCH PROJECTS and perhaps partner reading for enjoyment; the back matter and smaller-print non-narrative text on each page are well-written for older students to make sense of on their own.
I did find the "If you're a..." on each page problematic. Sometimes it's tucked into a corner and easy to miss. Just beware it's part of the rhythm and page-turning process.
With lyrical, rhyming text, this would be easy to READ ALOUD in a PreK-1st grade classroom. After reading aloud, return to favorite pages and read aloud the smaller-print non-narrative text that goes into more detail about how each animal sleeps. I could also see making this book available in older grades for RESEARCH PROJECTS and perhaps partner reading for enjoyment; the back matter and smaller-print non-narrative text on each page are well-written for older students to make sense of on their own.
I did find the "If you're a..." on each page problematic. Sometimes it's tucked into a corner and easy to miss. Just beware it's part of the rhythm and page-turning process.
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August 6, 2024
A children's reference book on how animals sleep, Sleepy is filled with bright illustrations and facts about animals. What I like the most is the layout; there is an animal featured, an overall storyline and then boxes of text for each animal. These boxes expand on the sleeping habits of each animal but it doesn't distract from the flow of the story that jumps from animal to animal. This could turn the book into a fast read or an in-depth read, which is nice. Great book!
Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy to review.
Thank you Simon Kids for the gifted copy to review.
November 26, 2024
This 2025 NCTE Orbis Pictus Recommended book deftly creates a non-fiction book that can adapt for different young readers or listers. The cute illustrations and short rhymes about different animals are accessible for young readers. Then there is also a little paragraph that includes scientific details about each animals sleeping patterns, introducing scientific terms. Kids who love facts and details can delve deeper into those. I can see this book being great for many kids at home and in the classroom.
August 3, 2024
I learned so much from this book and greatly appreciated the layout. It was great having all the information about the featured animal on the same page rather than flipping to the end to learn more. I also loved the definitions and graphs with the average sleep times of the featured animals. I always want nonfiction picture books to list their sources, which they did. This is the PERFECT nonfiction picture book, in my opinion!
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August 29, 2024~ read for Capitol Choices ~
I enjoyed the rhyming stories that educate little ones about how animals sleep, but there are little blocks of text hidden in the corner of each page/entry that distracted and honestly disengaged me as a reader. It felt almost as if the book was trying to cater to both 0-5 and 10-14 in one fell swoop and it felt very disjointed when you tried to focus on both aspects.
I enjoyed the rhyming stories that educate little ones about how animals sleep, but there are little blocks of text hidden in the corner of each page/entry that distracted and honestly disengaged me as a reader. It felt almost as if the book was trying to cater to both 0-5 and 10-14 in one fell swoop and it felt very disjointed when you tried to focus on both aspects.
January 31, 2025
This should be a typical picture book, but it’s odd that the story starts on the title page. And if you don’t need the title page, then it feels like you started in the middle of the story. I’m not a huge fan of the way. The story is laid out, but I do like how it rhymes in the illustrations are quite lovely plus the info bits of how the different animal sleep and sleep required of kids at the end is a great addition to this story.
March 28, 2025
I found the book to be very informative. I really liked this book quite a lot. I like how the author also added facts about each animal that was named and talked about in the story. I was not aware that koala's were the animals that slept the most hours in a day. I always thought that it was the sloth that slept the majority of the day away. This book was truly fascinating and very informational I enjoyed it very much.
January 5, 2026
This is a very simple non-fiction book. I like that it describes each animals way of sleeping through a poem and then expanding on it in a little paragraph in the bottom. It is also designed so you can quite easily skip a few pages, making it ideal for use in a storytime despite it's longer length. That being said for a read aloud to one or two kids it is probably a perfect length. The illustrations are lovely.
July 24, 2024
A colorful, non-fiction book showing how animals sleep; dolphins, bats, snakes, sea otters, grizzly bears, humpback whales, koala, frogs, giraffe, and elephants are covered in this picture book. I wish we had this book and other non-fiction picture books to teach animal science in elementary schools when I taught students. A valuable, colorful, resource book for teaching science.
July 27, 2024
Even sleeping is an adaptation for an animal to help its survival!
I love that this book can be read straight through, reading the rhyming prose. Readers learn more about these surprising sleep facts. But for those who want a little more, read the smaller font that is full of additional information.
I love that this book can be read straight through, reading the rhyming prose. Readers learn more about these surprising sleep facts. But for those who want a little more, read the smaller font that is full of additional information.
July 29, 2024
Tells all the ways animals sleep. From upside down, to eyes open, to holding hands. There is simple text to read aloud for ST, and then extra smaller text to give older kids/readers more information. Or maybe a bedtime read with extra time for more info.
August 14, 2024
This book was really engaging and informative! I loved the format of a short rhyming poem for each animal, and then a longer paragraph explanation of more details. Interesting choices of animals that were included.
February 23, 2025
From bats to sloths to elephants, this book offers short poems about the unique sleeping habits of different animals. My kids especially loved the different charts in the back matter that showed the average length of sleep for different animals and humans at different developmental stages.
April 28, 2025
This book talks about fun facts about how different animals sleep. Some animals nap standing up, while others sleep while underwater. The writing is simple and the pictures are bright and playful. It’s a great book for kids who love animals.
May 31, 2025
Fascinating. I love the art. And I love the design of the book - a 'story' for littles, facts on each page for more info. for big kids, and terrific back matter for big kids and for adults, too. I learned plenty, for example how little giraffes and elephants sleep, and about polyphasic sleep!
July 13, 2024
Superb!
November 3, 2024
a lot of wasted space in this book. Poems and side bars make for two levels of interest.
November 7, 2024
Lovely illustrations of animals in various types of sleep.
March 11, 2025
Another great book!
August 8, 2024
Fun facts such as dolphins sleeping with half its brain at a time punctuate this fun nonfiction picture book. With each spread starting with the phrase, "If you're a ..." followed by a short 4-line rhyming poem, children are introduced to some of the remarkable ways that animals rest or sleep. In addition to dolphins, readers learn about little brown bats, hummingbirds, snakes, sea otters, and more, ending with a human child. Each two-page spread also provides extra information about each animal's sleeping habits. The back matter shares more information about the different types of sleep and the average snooze time for the included animals. Page's gorgeous digital illustrations are stunning in and of themselves. The book is perfect for sharing both in and out of the classroom and is likely to encourage student curiosity. Highly recommended.
December 21, 2024
I was expecting more. However, I rounded up because the information was good and usually interesting. She covers 7 ways animals sleep. Plus, scientists can't tell if a snake is sleeping or not.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews