“And people are gradually starting to say, ‘I feel rather drowsy. I’ve had quite a day.'” – Dr. Seuss, Sleep Book
This 1962 classic from Dr. Seuss is a must have for any family that struggles to get their children to sleep at night! The colorful and entertaining illustrations in this 64 page book will have your little ones, and you, yawning before you know it.
A very small bug named Van Vleck is getting sleepy and yawns “so wide you can look down his neck.” Since yawns are contagious, Van Vleck’s yawn spreads to his friends and then “across the whole country toward every-which-where.” Dr. Seuss uses clever rhyming throughout the bedtime story as well as strategic colors to encourage your little one to unwind and close their eyes. The beginning of the book starts off with bright colors and interesting scenes of Seuss characters getting ready for bed, from yawning to building nests to brushing their teeth. As the book progresses the colors, for the most part, become a much more cooler and dimmer shade of blue. The characters start to get into bed, begin snoring and dreaming, until finally the lights are put out. The lull of the rhyming will practically rock your little one, and perhaps you, to sleep.
Sleep has always been difficult in our house. I have never been good at falling asleep or staying asleep. It becomes stressful at times. Unfortunately, my son has inherited this. We tried routine bedtime, lavender oils, white noises, and even tough love to get him to sleep at night. However, since we have added this book, along with Goodnight Moon, to our bedtime routine, sleep has come much easier to my son, and to me. It wasn’t an immediate thing, but now he enjoys just listening to this book as he closes his eyes and drifts off to dreamland.
Seuss is almost a sleep genius in my books by using the combination of clever rhyming, dimming color schemes, characters going through their bedtime routines, and the length of the book.
If you are struggling with bedtime with you little one, I would highly suggest ordering this book and adding it to your bedtime routine.
Here is a sample of my favorite page:
“The news just came in from the Castle of Krupp
That the lights are all out and the drawbridge is up.
And the old drawbridge draw-er just said with a yawn,
‘My drawbridge is drawn and it’s going to stay drawn
‘Til the milkman delivers the milk, about dawn.
I’m going to bed now. So nobody better
Come round with a special delivery letter.'”
Geisel, Theodor Seuss, Dr. Seuss’s Sleep Book. Random House Children’s Books. 1962. http://www.suessville.com