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While You're Sleeping: A stunning illustrated children’s book exploring the night time world
Have you ever wondered what's happening in the world while you're asleep in your bed? Bakers, firefighters, postal workers, doctors, nurses, wildlife and more! This is the perfect book for bedtime, opening up a whole world of wonder and imagination for children.
Have you ever wondered what's happening in the world while you're asleep in your bed?
There's a whole world of activity out there – from bakers preparing bread and cakes for your table and firefighters waiting patiently for a call, to hospitals helping people have babies and caring for those who are ill. There are lorry drivers making deliveries of food, flowers, toys and more, and postal workers sorting the mail for your morning delivery. There's also wildlife such as foxes foraging, bats flying, and owls hunting for prey. And then around the world there are children who are playing, learning, eating and reading while you're tucked up fast asleep.
This is the perfect book for bedtime, opening up a whole world of wonder and imagination for children, and providing food for the imagination if they wake in those early hours. Beautifully written, with lyrical prose, the illustrations are packed with detail.
Have you ever wondered what's happening in the world while you're asleep in your bed?
There's a whole world of activity out there – from bakers preparing bread and cakes for your table and firefighters waiting patiently for a call, to hospitals helping people have babies and caring for those who are ill. There are lorry drivers making deliveries of food, flowers, toys and more, and postal workers sorting the mail for your morning delivery. There's also wildlife such as foxes foraging, bats flying, and owls hunting for prey. And then around the world there are children who are playing, learning, eating and reading while you're tucked up fast asleep.
This is the perfect book for bedtime, opening up a whole world of wonder and imagination for children, and providing food for the imagination if they wake in those early hours. Beautifully written, with lyrical prose, the illustrations are packed with detail.
31 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2020
4 people are currently reading
107 people want to read
About the author
Mick Jackson
32 books72 followersMick Jackson (born 1960) is a British writer from England, best known for his novel The Underground Man (1997). The book, based on the life of William Cavendish-Scott-Bentinck, 5th Duke of Portland, was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize and for the 1997 Whitbread Award for best first novel.
Mick Jackson was born in 1960, in Great Harwood, Lancashire, and educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn.
Jackson worked in local theatre, studied theatre arts at Dartington College of Arts, and played in a rock band called The Screaming Abdabs. In 1990, he enrolled in a creative writing course at the University of East Anglia, and began working on The Underground Man. He has been a full-time writer since 1995.
Jackson's other works are the novels Five Boys (2002) and The Widow's Tale (2010), and the short story collections Ten Sorry Tales (2006) and The Bears of England (2009). Under the pseudonym Kirkham Jackson, he wrote the screenplay for the 2004 television film Roman Road. He lives in Brighton.
Mick Jackson was born in 1960, in Great Harwood, Lancashire, and educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Blackburn.
Jackson worked in local theatre, studied theatre arts at Dartington College of Arts, and played in a rock band called The Screaming Abdabs. In 1990, he enrolled in a creative writing course at the University of East Anglia, and began working on The Underground Man. He has been a full-time writer since 1995.
Jackson's other works are the novels Five Boys (2002) and The Widow's Tale (2010), and the short story collections Ten Sorry Tales (2006) and The Bears of England (2009). Under the pseudonym Kirkham Jackson, he wrote the screenplay for the 2004 television film Roman Road. He lives in Brighton.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
March 18, 2021
Have you ever thought about what goes on in the world while you are sleeping? No matter where you live, there are people working, driving, waking up, and animals wide awake. On the other side of the world, there are kids at school while you are sleeping.
With muted pinks, blues, and black, children get to experience what happens while they are sleeping. Beginning with the busy city, there are the workers that clean while we sleep, bakers that bake while we sleep, and convenience store workers who stay open all night. There are the hospital workers caring for the sick and injured and truck drivers delivering products across the country while we sleep. There are firemen waiting for the alarm to sound and parents waking up with crying babies that need changing or feeding.
In the woods, there are animals that do most of their activity at night. And, on the other side of the world, there are kids just like you, wide awake in class or watching their favorite show, or at practice. Then, in the morning, while you are getting ready for your day, all those kids are being tucked into bed.
This book offers kids, maybe even ones that have a hard time going to sleep, something to think about. You could have a conversation about the people in your own community, in your own family that are still awake while you are asleep. Maybe you have a truck driver, a nurse, or a factory worker that works the third shift in your family, or someone that lives 8+ hours away that you know. You can talk about how they are just going to work and what that might be like for them. I think this book opens kids’ eyes to the importance of their world still functioning while they are sleeping. We couldn’t get our mail or groceries or clothes if people weren’t willing to work while most of us were sleeping.
The author is from the UK, so some of the language is a bit different from what we use in the United States, but again, that just makes for another learning opportunity while reading with your child. What a great book to add to your child’s bedtime reading!
With muted pinks, blues, and black, children get to experience what happens while they are sleeping. Beginning with the busy city, there are the workers that clean while we sleep, bakers that bake while we sleep, and convenience store workers who stay open all night. There are the hospital workers caring for the sick and injured and truck drivers delivering products across the country while we sleep. There are firemen waiting for the alarm to sound and parents waking up with crying babies that need changing or feeding.
In the woods, there are animals that do most of their activity at night. And, on the other side of the world, there are kids just like you, wide awake in class or watching their favorite show, or at practice. Then, in the morning, while you are getting ready for your day, all those kids are being tucked into bed.
This book offers kids, maybe even ones that have a hard time going to sleep, something to think about. You could have a conversation about the people in your own community, in your own family that are still awake while you are asleep. Maybe you have a truck driver, a nurse, or a factory worker that works the third shift in your family, or someone that lives 8+ hours away that you know. You can talk about how they are just going to work and what that might be like for them. I think this book opens kids’ eyes to the importance of their world still functioning while they are sleeping. We couldn’t get our mail or groceries or clothes if people weren’t willing to work while most of us were sleeping.
The author is from the UK, so some of the language is a bit different from what we use in the United States, but again, that just makes for another learning opportunity while reading with your child. What a great book to add to your child’s bedtime reading!
May 23, 2021
When you find that Mick Jackon, who wrote the utterly fantastic adult novel, The Underground Man, has turned his words to picture books then you pick it up with some trepidation. Can the author step back and let the pictures do as much talking as the prose and do they respect the reader enough to speak up to them and not down? Thankfully, this book manages all of this and more through the perfect partnership with John Broadley.
The story begins with a young boy about to go to sleep; various objects and toys put away for the evening. A cunning kitty sweeps into the room just before dad closes the door. What follows is a dreamy overview of all the people who work and entertain while the young boy sleeps. Whilst Jackson pares back the narrative sweep of the town the boys lives in, Broadley presents us with rich spreads and vignettes of delivery vans, window cleaners, the fire service and so on. The town continues to trick along even when we're lost to the stuff of dreams...
This is a beautifully crafted picturebook and it feels as if everyone in the design team played a part. It's richly produced and a pleasure to read too. Broadley's print-like style is unique, full of rich texture and colour (even with its limited palette). Children will love making the connections between the objects in the boy's room and the real events outdoors too. A lyrical, bedtime lullaby.
The story begins with a young boy about to go to sleep; various objects and toys put away for the evening. A cunning kitty sweeps into the room just before dad closes the door. What follows is a dreamy overview of all the people who work and entertain while the young boy sleeps. Whilst Jackson pares back the narrative sweep of the town the boys lives in, Broadley presents us with rich spreads and vignettes of delivery vans, window cleaners, the fire service and so on. The town continues to trick along even when we're lost to the stuff of dreams...
This is a beautifully crafted picturebook and it feels as if everyone in the design team played a part. It's richly produced and a pleasure to read too. Broadley's print-like style is unique, full of rich texture and colour (even with its limited palette). Children will love making the connections between the objects in the boy's room and the real events outdoors too. A lyrical, bedtime lullaby.
June 2, 2021
I finally got my hands on a hard copy of this book, and it has so much going for it I don’t know really what to say. The muted colours with white for emphasis reminded me of Eve Rice’s Goodnight Goodnight; images of country and townscape are like patchworks of patterned fabrics: this is visually complex and engrossing.
The message is simple: aimed at a child unable to sleep, it is an invitation to think about everyone who is awake, up and doing, in late-night shops, hospitals, sorting offices, on the road in a bus, delivering goods (the sausages are a nice humorous touch), coming into a small fishing port while “a million stars look down.” It confronts worry and fear, suggests how in another part of the world school is under way, and reminds the reader of the return of night workers as the day dawns.
A book of real beauty; a text of scope and lyrical power.
The message is simple: aimed at a child unable to sleep, it is an invitation to think about everyone who is awake, up and doing, in late-night shops, hospitals, sorting offices, on the road in a bus, delivering goods (the sausages are a nice humorous touch), coming into a small fishing port while “a million stars look down.” It confronts worry and fear, suggests how in another part of the world school is under way, and reminds the reader of the return of night workers as the day dawns.
A book of real beauty; a text of scope and lyrical power.
December 8, 2020
A beautiful, unusual picture that opens the curtains to the night-time world. What happens at night when we are all tucked up in bed and dreaming? It’s a question that fascinates children and it’s explored beautifully in this picture book. Double page illustrations show us the people going about their night-time jobs, the trucks rattling down roads packed with the things we need, and even give us a peek into the Royal Mail’s sorting office where busy workers go through bundles of letters and parcels. Meanwhile, out at sea ships cut through the waves under the stars, while the countryside belongs to owls, bats and hares. This book is beautiful to look at, a glimpse into another world, and will be wonderful to share with young readers, particularly at bedtime.
February 26, 2021
When you go to bed at night what do you think happens in the city while you sleep? This story shares all of the people and animals that start their day at night.
At night, some people clean the trains and buses getting them ready for the busiest time of the day. Some people spend their nights cleaning streets, shops, and offices. The night work can seem as busy as the day work, especially with the truck drivers bringing in fresh fruit and flowers. All the mail is sorted and night making sure all packages are delivered on time. Convenience stores, late night cafes and taxi drivers are busy too. Hospital personnel, firefighters and police officers never seem to sleep.
The fox and bunny rabbit are creatures of the night on occasion, but the bat, owl, and deer roam free throughout the night. There is a lot going on at night and sometimes even scary dreams may wake you up. What else do you think happens at night?
This story is great for reading before bed or even during the day. Young readers will be amazed at what happens and night and how the illustrations with a hint of color make imaging night life interesting and engaging. Parents and teachers can discuss with kids the pros and cons of working at night.
At night, some people clean the trains and buses getting them ready for the busiest time of the day. Some people spend their nights cleaning streets, shops, and offices. The night work can seem as busy as the day work, especially with the truck drivers bringing in fresh fruit and flowers. All the mail is sorted and night making sure all packages are delivered on time. Convenience stores, late night cafes and taxi drivers are busy too. Hospital personnel, firefighters and police officers never seem to sleep.
The fox and bunny rabbit are creatures of the night on occasion, but the bat, owl, and deer roam free throughout the night. There is a lot going on at night and sometimes even scary dreams may wake you up. What else do you think happens at night?
This story is great for reading before bed or even during the day. Young readers will be amazed at what happens and night and how the illustrations with a hint of color make imaging night life interesting and engaging. Parents and teachers can discuss with kids the pros and cons of working at night.
March 23, 2021
While You Were Sleeping is an interesting book. The illustration style is much different than anything we've (my child and I) have come across in picture books before, and caused a bit of a disagreement between us. I, quite frankly, was not a fan of it at all, whereas my child thought it was pretty neat. I suppose in this case her opinion matters more, but I'd take a peek at the 'look inside' if it's available to make sure it's one that will be pleasing to your kid.
The other area we ran into a disagreement on was the words themselves - I prefer books like this that have a gentle cadence to them, but the prose in this book just hit all the wrong notes for me. It was a boring read - which could have been the point, given that it's obviously a book to read at bed time. However, the kidlet said that she liked thinking about what people were doing on the other side of the world, so ... again, her opinion is probably more important here.
In the end what we agreed upon was that this was definitely an interesting book in terms of subject matter and illustration, but not one of our favorites.
Disclaimer: We received a copy of this book from the publicist for review consideration.
The other area we ran into a disagreement on was the words themselves - I prefer books like this that have a gentle cadence to them, but the prose in this book just hit all the wrong notes for me. It was a boring read - which could have been the point, given that it's obviously a book to read at bed time. However, the kidlet said that she liked thinking about what people were doing on the other side of the world, so ... again, her opinion is probably more important here.
In the end what we agreed upon was that this was definitely an interesting book in terms of subject matter and illustration, but not one of our favorites.
Disclaimer: We received a copy of this book from the publicist for review consideration.
August 6, 2024
When we talk about Monday as being a "new work week," we exclude the one-third of the workforce who work Saturdays and/or Sundays. My sons worked weekends for many years. We became acutely aware of how much the M - F crowd takes for granted -- that first responders, hospital workers, restaurant and retail workers, transportation workers (airport/airline workers, bus drivers, gas stations, AAA, etc.), and other critical workers will be all on the job, day and night, when they're not. This book illuminates those workers for children Tucking a child into his snug, cozy bed is the opening for his parent to weave a story about all the people who will be working through the night while others sleep. Janitorial workers, bus and taxi drivers, street cleaners, delivery trucks, mail sorters, bakers, 24-hour cafes, firefighters, hospital workers—and new parents, and wildlife that comes alive at night. The story book ends charmingly with the night workers climbing into their own snug, cozy beds just as the child is waking up to greet his day.
December 25, 2022
While You're Sleeping (2020) by Mick Jackson and John Broadley is visually stimulating. Its full color and vibrant lines and dots make this book enjoyable. If you're wondering what happens while you're asleep, this book will let you in on the world of nightlife. From garbage collectors to night clubs, to cafes to even animals that stay up late into the night, this book tells of the people and creatures that are awake while you're asleep. This book is perfect for those who are afraid of the dark, examining all the cool things that happen, including when it's daylight on the other side of the globe. My rating - 3/5
October 23, 2025
At first, I didn't like this picture book based on the colours and the chaotic-ness of the illustrations but after reading the text, could the illustrations be designed in a way to stimulate babies (black and white / binary colours are very beneficial during the first year of a babies life for their brain development).
The picture book is very soothing and could be used as a tool to combat being scared of the dark as it highlights an element of the unknown - the dark does not have to be quiet and lifeless. Lots of roles within society are also highlighted that children may not think about often, e.g how buses are cleaned, and helps develop their wider knowledge of the world.
The picture book is very soothing and could be used as a tool to combat being scared of the dark as it highlights an element of the unknown - the dark does not have to be quiet and lifeless. Lots of roles within society are also highlighted that children may not think about often, e.g how buses are cleaned, and helps develop their wider knowledge of the world.
November 13, 2021
Glorious illustrations carry this nighttime comfy story: while you sleep much is happening around the city. "Sometimes a night worker and a fox will pass each other, nod to one another, then carry on their way." Just enough suspense to hold a young reader's attention but not scary enough to keep you awake. Even though "sometimes you'll wake, deep in the night, a bad dream maybe...or something else that's not quite right." Black and white (especially black) illustrations dominate each frame with just enough pastel light (especially flashlight yellow) to "see" what's going on.
November 29, 2021
"Sometimes you'll wake, deep in the night - a bad dream, maybe... or something else that's not quite right - and no matter how hard you try to sleep simply will not come. Then, just think of all the people hard at work, think of the night-time animals, the fire station and hospital, the shops, the all-night cafes [...] Maybe that will help."
With gorgeous art and a great reminder at how someone is always move about the world, this was a fun book to read before bed with my preschooler. Highly recommend.
With gorgeous art and a great reminder at how someone is always move about the world, this was a fun book to read before bed with my preschooler. Highly recommend.
April 3, 2022
The concept of this story is interesting. Everyone has once wonder what goes while they are asleep, and this book help that curiosity. Especially as a children's book because many kids think everything stops when they go to sleep other don't want to sleep because they don't want to miss anything. This books gives them something to think about, it doesn't;t only talk about what we do during slumber but also animals. There are words in the book that we don't typically us in the States but that is just another learning possibility for readers. This is a good night time story book.
April 22, 2021
This should be on the short list for thr Caldecot award. The illustrations (wood cut or linoleum cut?) pair wonderfully with the gentle cadence of the prose. This fits in with other "get ready to go to sleep" classics with the added bonus of giving advice as to what to think about when you wake in the middle of the night and can't fall asleep. I also appreciate the pages on babies being up at night and although parents treasure that time, they need sleep, too,or they will be grumpy.
December 14, 2022
I liked this book and would read it to students, but it is not one that I think is extremely beneficial. For instance, this story could simply be one that I read to a child before bed, but maybe not a classroom full of students. One characteristic of the book that I thoroughly enjoyed, though, was the use of colors. With the use of dark tones of grays and purples, as well as blacks and reds, the feeling of the night life is especially effective.
February 28, 2021
I was really curious about the illustrations. So intricate! So retro! I wondered whether or not they were woodcuts? I did a little research and found that Pavilion has a wonderful interview with Broadley about his artwork.
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...
March 24, 2024
Uniquely illustrated (kinda looks a bit like woodcuts?) story that explores the life that carries on at night, after we go to sleep--the people who work, the businesses that stay open, the critters getting on with their existences.
Pictures might be too detailed for a big storytime crowd, but if you're planning a small, sleepover storytime-themed event, this could be a good addition.
Pictures might be too detailed for a big storytime crowd, but if you're planning a small, sleepover storytime-themed event, this could be a good addition.
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March 5, 2021REVIEW: This book is an adventure of night and all the things that happen when most of us are sleeping. This book is a way to create conversations with your young reader about all the roles that exist that make the world go round. Such a pretty book too! A super original and fun book!!!
December 19, 2021
The beautiful illustrations dominate, but the more subtle text is informative and rewarding. I like the concept of a child going to sleep and thinking about all those who are awake all night and doing things, or perhaps going to school on the other side of the world. Interesting book.
December 4, 2021
Read it. Enjoyed the illustrations more than the text. The foxes were fun!
February 26, 2022
I'm so glad to have found this book that is perfect for a bed-time or classroom study of community.
Absolutely stunning illustrations!!!!
Absolutely stunning illustrations!!!!
March 26, 2022
Funky, mesmerizing art in this picture book about people who work at night.
May 5, 2022
A comfort to read. A tome for the wakeful and fretful child.
January 31, 2024
Text a little dry, but the 🎨 is 💯!
August 12, 2024
There are a lot of things going on around the world while you are sleeping. The art is second to none, it's superb!
April 27, 2025
So-so text, but really deep and rich illustrations in a classic, maximalist style. Not usually my sort of thing, but I loved them!
February 26, 2022
Spellbinding, truly special.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69vjc...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69vjc...
August 2, 2023
This picture book invites the reader to consider the many activities occurring during the night while we are sleeping. Although most people sleep during the night, others work in the community--hospitals, bakeries, trucking firms, and fire departments are just a few of the places where people work while the rest of us sleep. Many wild creatures are also awake and active during the night.
Dark colors predominate in the detailed illustrations, enhancing the nighttime ambiance and inviting a closer look. The text is spare and accessible to early elementary readers.
Tie-in with study of community, Labor Day, nocturnal animals, and devotionally: Psalm 121:4
Dark colors predominate in the detailed illustrations, enhancing the nighttime ambiance and inviting a closer look. The text is spare and accessible to early elementary readers.
Tie-in with study of community, Labor Day, nocturnal animals, and devotionally: Psalm 121:4
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews