Even Superheroes Have to Sleep

by Sara Crow, Adam Record (Illustrator)

Toddlers will feel better about bedtime when they learn that superheroes, cowboys, princesses, and astronauts ALL have to sleep too!
 
It’s bedtime for superheroes . . . and KIDS! Young ones will enjoy this sweet, short, rhyming story that lulls them to sleep with the promise that all their heroes are getting tucked into bed too. It’s the perfect story to choose for a peaceful bedtime ritual.
 
And don't miss the companion book— Even Superheroes Use the Potty —to help teach kids good bathroom habits.
 
“Will ease little readers to restful states.”— Kirkus

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Superheroes, Storytime

26 pages, Board Book

First published July 5, 2015

Reviews

[Mischenko]

We grabbed Even Superheroes Have To Sleep over the weekend. With the cover and blurb it looked and sounded like a pretty good children's book that teaches the importance of sleep.

The illustrations are bright and vivid. It's also a cute rhyming story, but we felt like it was missing something. I think it would've been perfect had it contained more heroes like military, fireman, and even teachers.

It contains a sleep reward sticker chart in the back for brushing teeth and reading, etc.

It’s still ok, just not a favorite...

3***

[La Coccinelle]

Well, this was a disappointment. The premise is good, the rhymes are fun, and the pictures are cute. So what's the problem? It's the 21st century, and we're still giving girls the message that their career options are pretty much limited to "princess" (good luck with that) and "mommy". Of the eleven careers depicted in the book (superhero, construction worker, doctor, astronaut, princess, pirate, policeman, scientist, cowboy, rock star, and mommy), only three (doctor, princess, and mommy) are female. The way the text was worded, any of the others except for the policeman and cowboy could've been either gender, so it makes no sense to me why only about 1/4 of these jobs are done by females. It seems to be more of an issue with the illustrator, and perhaps his unconscious bias. (The book was written for the author's three sons, but that doesn't really explain why the illustrator depicted most of the characters as male, whether they were described as such or not.)

So a fun premise was taken down by gender-stereotyped illustrations. That's really disappointing.

[Audric the Illiterate]

I like the rhymes and pictures in this one. But ever since my mom mentioned the problematic lack of female representation, I’ve had trouble enjoying with a clear conscience.

[Katharine]

Adorable pictures and a good rhyme. I wish more of the characters were female. The women are: doctor, mommy, and princess. The men are superhero, scientist, astronaut, pirate, policeman, cowboy, rock singer, and construction worker. There's no reason it couldn't be a bit more equally representative.

[Moonkiszt]

Featured in a grandma reads session.

Captain Z is an advocate of Sleep. . .Rest. . . Relaxation. . .and. . . .Naps!

I must admit the basic message here is for a certain age range of ears in my group - the younger they are the more they need to be persuaded about the importance of the above activities. Somehow they are sure we are up to fun without them when naps and early bedtimes are announced. Still Captain Z helped get the message an open-minded consideration. And, from an unexpected source, the voice most appreciative was from the hard-working, dawn-rising, bike-riding, book-toting high-schooler.

I get it. Since my 50's I've always been a NapFan. Wait. That's when I was granted MY superpower: grandmother. Totally makes sense.

[Ann]

I appreciate the racial diversity of the illustrations, but the gender problem with this book is SEVERE. (See the well-written reviews below, especially that by Goodreads user "La Coccinelle"). I don't think this was done purposefully, but the fact that a book published in 2019 has this glaring of a disparity with NO ONE on the publishing team noticing it is shameful.

[Mama Bearian]

"Leaping, lasering, flying high,
Watching closely from the sky,
Spending the day making villains weep,
Even superheroes have to sleep."

From superheroes to doctors to cowboys, this book explains that everyone has to sleep by using nearly every synonym for sleep (snooze, rest, nap, dream, etc.).

[Kaitlyn RItchie]

Even Superheroes Have to Sleep is a rhyming story starring a superhero that teaches kids the importance of sleep. The book captivates children with vivid illustrations of why their favorite heroes (doctors, princesses, cowboys, etc.) all need to sleep.

[Abby Peskin]

Everyone has to sleep. Some kids idealize certain people in their lives or in specific professions, particularly heroes. This book speaks specifically about how people in some “hero” professions still have to sleep too after a long day of work. Doctors sleep, firefighters sleep, superheroes sleep.

[Juliana Lee]

Everyone needs to sleep... superheros, pirates, astronauts, even children.

[M]

Rhyming book about how everyone sleeps, no matter their occupation.

[Marcie]

One thing I liked were all the synonyms for sleep. Can see how this may be useful to some parents.

[Sophie Klockow]

Connections: needing to sleep
Use in classroom: self care, nap time

[Deja Bertucci]

One of my new favorite bedtime books. Fun rhymes, and hopefully persuasive. :)

[Shantell Robinson]

Good story, talked about how basically everyone needs sleep no matter who you are.

[Jenny]

3.75

[Karin]

Rhyming book featuring different types of people and why they need sleep. Cowboys, doctors, mommies, and even superheroes. A reward chart is at the back of the book to encourage your little one to get some shut eye.

[Beth]

ARC supplied by publisher via Edelweiss

[Nanci Booher]

Rhyming text talks about how everyone needs to go to sleep. This is the perfect pj storytime book!!

[Christine]

Cute rhymes! The superhero is one of the eleven two-page spreads featuring poems about bedtime for characters from construction workers to princesses. 2 of 15 characters are not white, 3 characters are women.