Sleep Here, Wake There

by Caio Zero

César must solve a bedtime mystery in this fun, child-centric story about family life with a working single mother.

There's a big mystery in little César's life. Every night he falls asleep in his own bed but every morning he wakes up at his aunt's house. Could he be sleepwalking? Is his bed a magic portal? What if aliens are involved?!

One night, César tries his very hardest to stay awake. Will he finally discover why he sleeps here and wakes there?

Genres: Picture Books

36 pages, Hardcover

Published October 21, 2025

Reviews

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect title for those families who have parents that work at night and need child care for the child or children. The story of the young boy going to sleep in one location and awakening in another is creatively told, but he is determined to discover how this occurs.
First title by the author/illustrator to be published in English, 2025. First published in Brazil in 2023. Illustrations created using pencil, pen, chalk, and acrylic paint and then enhanced digitally.

Scott County Public Library

[YSBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every night, César (a 5-year-old boy with brown skin and tight, curly black hair) goes to sleep in his own bed but wakes up in his aunty’s house. He’s determined to unravel this mystery; either he’s sleepwalking, being transported by aliens, or his bed is a secret portal. His investigations involve mild mischief, including questioning and wrestling with his orange dog Oscar, building an enticing and messy snack for the aliens, and sketching out his imaginative solution on the wall with crayons, all earning admonitions from his mom. Determined to stay awake, he’s enveloped by “something soft and warm…lifting me up”; of course, it’s his mother, who works nights and transports him to his aunty’s place every evening. This retrospective “small moments” narrative felt so honest and sweet. Stories about single, working moms often focus on deprivation; here, the prevailing message is one of caring and ingenuity. Zero based this story on his own memories of growing up in Brazil as part of an extended community of relatives. His beautiful and uncluttered illustrations, done with pencil, pen, chalk, and acrylic paint, have a cozy, simple feel that keep the focus on César’s emotions and investigations – the boy is always in the center of the page, with his face clearly displayed, sometimes zooming in on his expressions but other times, simply allowing us to read his body language. Zero has provided lots of visual clues that will help his readers solve the mystery. For example, César’s twinned beds are similar (the same starry quilt in both houses) but have different wooden flourishes. His favorite stuffie is a green, three-eyed alien, exactly like the one he imagines transports him at night. A true windows and mirrors story that will allow readers to see their own lives or experience César’s. Young children will enjoy trying to solve this gentle mystery and talking about how their own lives may have similarly perplexing scenarios in a confusing adult world. Link to complete review: https://ysbookreviews.wordpress.com/2...

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Is it magic or something dastardly? Cesar, the young narrator in this picture book, is confused to find that he wakes up in a different bed and home than the one in which he went to sleep. How could that be? He decides to investigate and solve the mystery. While the answer might be readily apparent to some readers, who will be pleased to see an experience that mirrors their own depicted, others will be surprised. Child-friendly text and artwork, created with pencil, pen, chalk, and acrylic paint, and then digitally enhanced. The importance of imagination as well as the necessity of practicality by a working parent are highlighted in this gently-told story.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book and the way it shows a child's perspective on something. A boy goes to sleep in one bed and wakes in another every night. He can't understand why and comes up with all kinds of magical, fantastic reasons it happens. Then he stays awake one night and finds out that his mother carries him to his neighbors house so she can watch him while his mother works the night shift. I feel like many kids will relate to the larger community family aspect of this, and not all kids sleep in the same bed every night, or wake there. The illustrations are bright, big but also have small intimate details including objects from the author's childhood.

[Pam · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an electronic ARC from Floris Books through Edelweiss+.
Every night Cesar goes to sleep in his own bed in his own house, and every morning he wakes up at his aunt's home. He is puzzled by this and tries to figure out how it happens. Readers will enjoy his theories though they do get him in trouble as he works them out. The humor comes through clearly in both the simple to follow text and the brightly colored illustrations. Some readers will figure out what happens right away and others will be surprised by the reality.

[Y.Poston]

nice reflection of extended family caring for family