Celebrating Grandmas with ‘I'm Not Sleepy!’

From I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press 2012) | Illustration © 2012 by Jane Chapman

Stories Worth SharingI’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman(Little Tiger Press, 2012)Good to Read for:celebrating grandmascreating a calm atmospherefeeling cosyIt’s good when picture books acknowledge that it’s not always just parents who care for children. (I think that’s one of the reasons why my book,  I Love You To the Moon and Back , is doing so well: the reader is left to decide the relationship between the big and little bear.) A favourite of mine in this category is I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press, 2012). 

This cosy read turns the familiar ‘I don’t want to go to bed’ storyline on its head by celebrating the caregiving role of Grandma Owl.

(Find other recommendations of picture books that celebrate grandparents and the elderly at the end of this article.)

As with many human grandparents, Grandma Owl’s in charge of getting her ‘favourite owlet’, Mo, off to sleep. So she carries him (on her back) up to Mo’s nest at the top of the tree. (“It’s a long way up, for a little owlet”, she puffed.)

 

Hop…Jump…Flutter…FLUMP!

“Ooof, she huffed, sliding him down. 

“Here we are!”

 

That pleasing onomatopoeic phrase – Hop…Jump…Flutter…FLUMP!  – rolls off the tongue and is repeated throughout the story. That repetition helps lodge it in a kid’s brain, encouraging them to remember it and start joining in. 

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From I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press 2012) | Illustration © 2012 by Jane Chapman

 

This is a Good Thing because: 

it boosts children’s confidence and self-esteem (especially pre-readers)

the repetition is reassuring and helps children feel safe

the rhythm and cadence aids speech development

Once Mo is all cosy, Grandma Owl then hops down to her book. But her work has only just begun! Because Little Mo won’t be put to bed that easily! 

First, he calls out for his Bedtime Biscuit. 

Then for someone (i.e. long-suffering Grandma) to tuck him in – again!

 

Grandma plumped and prodded… and tucked and rolled…until Mo looked like a wriggly, green pancake….

 

From I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press 2012) | Illustration © 2012 by Jane Chapman

 

Chapman’s anthropomorphism is subtle. Her illustrations make eating biscuits, reading books and being tucked up in leafy blankets the most natural thing in the world for an owl to do! Yet her owls still look believably naturalistic. (Their downy feathers look like they’d ripple if you blew on them). The characterisation and scenarios are convincing too, which lends the story a cosy, everyday feeling.

 

“No more noise now [,” said Grandma, “] …unless there’s an Emergency.” And she blew [Mo] a kiss, and hopped down to her book.

 

Needless to say, Mo summons Grandma from the top of his tree!

 

“GRANDMA, GRANDMA! IT’S AN EMERGENCY!”

‘IT’S AN EMERGENCY!” thought Grandma. “Oh my goodness!”

 

Poor old Grandma. She flies all the way back up to Mo.

 

“What is it? What’s the Emergency?” puffed Grandma.

“I’m not sleepy!” said Mo.

“I don’t want to go to bed. I want to play!”

 

Hmmm. Sound familiar, anyone?

Fortunately, Grandma is a wiley old owl, and she has ‘a very good idea.’

 

“I’ll go to bed, and YOU can stay up!”

 

Mo is delighted!

 

From I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press 2012) | Illustration © 2012 by Jane Chapman

 

“YES! YES! YES!” laughed Mo, “and you’ll need fresh leaves… and a Bedtime Biscuit…and tucking in …and EVERY TIME I come up I’ll blow you a kiss.”

 

A lovely spread follows this exchange, with that phrase Hop…Jump…Flutter…FLUMP! Being repeated alongside vignettes of Mo as he discovers that it’s ‘hard work putting Grandma to bed.’

 

From I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press 2012) | Illustration © 2012 by Jane Chapman

 

Most of the stars were gone when a little voice called up from below.

“Grandma?… I’m really sleepy.”

 

Clever – and kind – old Grandma comes to the rescue!

 

“On my back,” she said.

Hop… Grandma carries Mo…

Jump… all the way up…

Flutter… to his nest…

FLUMP! At the top of the tree.

 

The final spread is adorable and tender. Grandma Owl snuggles Mo down, tucks him in, smooths his feathers gently and blows him a kiss. It’s an intimate (and reassuring) moment that parents, grandparents and kids will identify with.

 

From I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press 2012) | Illustration © 2012 by Jane Chapman

 In terms of ‘I don’t want to go to bed’ stories, there’s nothing out of the ordinary here. What makes I’m Not Sleepy! stand out from the crowd though is the beautiful characterisation, its colour palette of cool nighttime blues and greens, the gentle humour and that lovely refrain: 

Hop…Jump…Flutter…FLUMP!

 

Plus, the important fact that it is Grandma who features as the caregiver.

As one reviewer on GoodReads (somewhat tongue-in-cheek, I suspect) commented:

I couldn’t stop thinking about this poor young owl’s life. Why is his grandma putting him to bed? What happened to his parents? Did they die tragically? And where is Grandpa Owl? So. Much. Loss.

But you know, it raises some interesting questions – questions which, quite feasibly, might be on your child’s mind. It’s often quoted that children’s literature should act as a mirror and a window. In other words, kids need:

to see themselves reflected in the books (which helps develop a sense of worth and identity)

opportunities allowing them to see how other people live (which leads to empathy). 

Seeing relationships (other than the traditional parent and child) portrayed in picture books is refreshing, especially with so many separated parents and blended families. In that sense, I’m Not Sleepy! plays an important part in allowing kids – whose grandparent is a significant presence – to see their lives reflected in the story. 

And I bet Grandmas enjoy the acknowledgement, too!

 Stories Worth SharingI’m Not Sleepy! by Jane ChapmanGood to Read for:celebrating grandmascreating a calm atmospherefeeling cosyGOOD TO READ

Picture books celebrating grandparents and the elderly

My Grandpa by Marta Altés

The Green Ship by Quentin Blake

Granpa by John Burningham

Grandad’s Island by Benji Davies

King of the Sky by Nicola Davies & Laura Carling

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña & Christian Robinson

Birdsong by Julie Flett

Monet’s Cat by Lily Murray & Becky Cameron

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From I’m Not Sleepy! by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press 2012) | Illustration © 2012 by Jane Chapman

 “Ridiculously cute”– Saffron, GoodReads

“A cute, clever story that is enjoyable for all ages.”– GoodReads
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SOURCESI’m Not Sleepy by Jane Chapman (Little Tiger Press, 2012)GoodReads
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