when one of my young children hollers from their bed, needing one more drink of water or one more snuggle, I quietly recite a page from Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama: “Little Llama don’t you know Mama Llama loves you so? Mama Llama’s always near, even if she’s not right here.” And they remember, without my saying it, that when they have a hard time falling asleep, everything is just fine—even in the dark.
