A la sieste !

by Iris de Moüy

Personne ne veut faire la sieste.
Chacun a une bonne raison pour ne pas se coucher.
Le crocodile dit que c'est pour les bébés, le singe rétorque qu'il est trop occupé et la hyène rit bêtement !
Comment ces animaux de la jungle vont-ils s'endormir ?

Iris de Moüy vit à Paris, dessine et passe beaucoup de temps à se balader et rêvasser. Cette intense activité l'a conduite inéluctablement à écrire des livres pour enfants et ceci pour son plus grand plaisir.

Genres: Picture Books, Animals, Childrens, Storytime, Humor, Fiction

26 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

Reviews

[Erica]

Honestly, the reason I like this book is because it is full of pissed-off zoo animals.
That's it.

I mean, any parent/grandparent/aunt/uncle/babysitter/sibling/preschool worker/person who has been around an "I don't need a nap" child will totally understand the story. In fact, being reminded of this stupid afternoon battle may make said caretaker feel as pissed-off as the zoo animals.
But for me? It was all about those angry faces. Cracked me right the hell up.

[Sharlene]

If only nap time was that simple...

[Albine Eien]

Si seulement c'était si simple !

[Barbara]

It seems that all the animals on the African savannah are completely disinterested in taking a nap or two. Each one makes all sorts of excuses until finally a little girl gives them advice that puts them to sleep. I liked the gouache illustrations and the grumpy looks of the wild beasts who could clearly use a nap or two. I also liked how the author/illustrator managed to capture their unique personalities. This one would be fun for a very short read aloud.

[Jennifer Killam]

De Moüy’s beautiful picture book introduces a cast of tired, grumpy wild animals with the heavy, lined eyes of fatigue. Each animal has its own page on which it declares why it does not need a nap. The illustration for each animal, done in bold gouache with strong lines and spot colours, perfectly articulates each animal’s character, fatigue, and their excuse. The list of excuses is surely familiar to parents everywhere and will resonate with most children – while possibly adding to their playbooks for anti-nap protests.

For example:

“Naps are for little babies,” says the toothy crocodile, and, “I’m too big to have a nap,” says the weary elephant, who doesn’t even fit on the page. The ostrich hides its head in the sand saying, “I’m not even here” while the gazelle leaps off the page and says, “I don’t have time for a nap.”

At the end, the animals gather together, lying by the trees, grass, and watering hole. A little girl arrives and teaches them how to nap.

It’s an enchanting twist that empowers young readers as it shows the little girl taking charge and persuading the large animals to fall asleep. Young readers will like it as they can relate to the reluctance of the tired animals. They can also imagine themselves as the powerful little girl who becomes the boss of bedtime.

Parents will like this light-hearted and fun take on napping that also shares a practical tip for helping young ones to fall asleep: imagining a sequence of animals falling asleep, and then at last, trying the girl’s sleep advice: “Just close one eye… Then close the other eye…”

The translation is beautiful. A side-by-side comparison of the original French book with the English version shows that the translator aptly expressed the sentiments of the original French while selecting fitting English expressions.

Highly recommended for bookshelves everywhere, this delightful book is a perfect complement to any naptime or bedtime ritual.

[Elias]

E: this was an easy book. It's not a very good book. I liked it when they napped and the drawings.

Parent: a sweet book for a much younger age group that doesn't require a storyline, just pictures to point at. But not a must read or classic.

[Brett]

The rudeness of the animals will undoubtedly make young readers giggle. Very cute.

[Sarah's Storytime]

Not really a good fit for storytime

[Bfelouzis]

Not the book to read to a child you are trying to encourage to take a nap. Huge build up of many ways to protest and very small pay off for actually taking a nap. Disappointed.

[skcocnaH]

If only napping were so simple!

[DAMON Justine]

Jolis dessins, Jolies couleurs, petite histoire marrante 👍

[Tracie]

None of the animals on the savannah want to take a nap, until a wise little girl shows them how easy it is to fall asleep.

I liked how the author sets up the conflict in the first part of this book--the animals are so grumpy, they're cute...and their excuses are funny--but the girl's resolution seemed too easy and left something to be desired, in my opinion.

[Jschofi4]

With large and focused illustrations and minimal text, this book is a good choice for baby and toddler story times. The plot is very simplistic and might bore older listeners, but is relatable and focused for younger ones. The minimal color palette also contributes to its usefulness with young audiences.

[Amanda]

Absolutely brilliant! Those surly eyes staring naptime defiantly down; I recognize those eyes, and will probably be seeing them in the very near future. Ah, naptime, I need to apologize for how I treated you as a child; I'm sorry and I would like to have some of those opportunities back now, please.

[Jen]

This is such a great read aloud book. So many excuses, so many cute animals, so much fun. If you are teaching, it is a good transition book from an exciting activity to something more sedate. If you are a parent it is good to get kids to get ready for bed. Also if you are a parent you have heard all these excuses before!

[Cory]

This one seemed like it would be really good to read aloud during a storytime. Something about the matter-of-factness of the language. The illustrations were just so-so for me, until I got to the page with the monkey looking angrily off the page while he sat on a branch, and then I was in love.

[Michele]

I really enjoyed reading the book, Naptime. The different zoo animals that are
used to depict children who protest against naps were very funny. The text is playful and
any child can relate to the feeling of not wanting to take a nap. The coloring book like
illustrations are simple, but amusing.

[Miss Pippi the Librarian]

The wild animals are making excuses not to nap and a little girl teaches them how to nap. It's easy! Close one eye, then close the other eye! I think it is a fun and clever story.

2015 storytime theme: naps

Reviewed from a library copy.

[Peacegal]

A silly book about naptime--I wasn't a big fan of the illustrations.

[Damera Blincoe]

A really easy book to read. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the illustrations. Could be a good storytime book.

[Edward Sullivan]

Only a little girl knows how to get grumpy jungle animals to take a nap.

[Amy]

Love it! Grumpy-looking wild animals refuse to nap until a girl comes up with a simple and ingenious solution. Great for all of those cranky kids who are anti-naptime!

[Jeffrey]

Tremendous! None of the animals wants to go to sleep and they all have excuses! But when a little girl comes on the scene, she puts them to rights - fabulous illustrations!

[Brindi Michele]

i found this quite creative and perfect for toddler tales...with props!

[Kelsey]

Age: Preschool

An entire savannah of animals refuse to go to sleep for every reason under the sun. But one little girl has a simple solution: take it one step at a time.

[Ama]

An adorable book full of animals giving typical toddler/preschool excuses for not taking a nap.

[Robin]

Stylish, but slight.

[Rebecca Ann]

I love the long rectangle shape of this, it goes so well with the rough, simple illustrations and the belligerent tone! Great for a sleep storytime!

[Haley]

Great for parents to read before nap time.

[Beverly]

PW Best Book for 2014; but I wasn't very impressed by the illustrations.