A good picture book is harder to write than it seems. You need to incorporate simple concepts in a unique way that stands out from the other picture books but still captures a short attention span, and, possibly, teaches a lesson.
One feature of children’s books that has been a surefire way to grab their attention is animals. Tying an already established curiosity to a new concept is the perfect mixture for a picture book.
Author Srividhya Lakshmanan has created the perfect mixture of animals and the idea of sleep with her picture book, Do They All Sleep? Below is my review of Lakshmanan’s book along with an interview with the author about her well-crafted storybook.
Do They All Sleep? book summary
Do They All Sleep? begins with a little boy asking his dad why he should sleep and whether or not animals sleep. It’s a valid question, and it’s answered by multiple animals who in lyrical verse explain that they all sleep.
Everything from water to land to air animals each get a page explaining how and when they sleep. Some sleep in trees, others in water. Some sleep during the day and others at night, just like the little boy.
Every few pages, the reader is asked directly about their thoughts on sleep and how they sleep compared to the animals in the book. At the end, there’s a short questionnaire for readers to answer and record their sleep habits, personalizing both the book and their sleep experience. Just like all animals sleep differently, so do the readers of this book.
The story
This book is a cute, calming storybook perfect for bedtimes and naptimes. It delves into children’s tendency to ask questions and provides answers to those questions in a sing-song rhythm that can lull them to sleep. That, paired with the animal theme, and interactive nature of asking young readers to participate while being read to make it perfect for late-toddler and pre-school aged children who are curious and questioning, particularly when it comes to sleep.
Each page contains a few short sentences to capture a short attention span. So, it can be read a few times in a row before bed without being too-long winded.
There’s a call and response as the father asks ten different animals if they sleep along with their response. The font even changes between the human speaker and the animal speaker to show an off-page conversation taking place between the two characters.
Two pages are devoted to each animal. One features them awake, and the next page shows where, when, and how they sleep.
The rhythm of the text varies on each page. A few pages rhyme, but most do not, so you may get tripped up the first few times you read through it. The tone, though, is very peaceful and validating, encouraging the young readers to do like the animals do and go to sleep when it’s their time and in their particular sleeping spot.
The illustrations
Do They All Sleep? Is illustrated by Akansha Krishnan. Krishnan displays a full-bodied, colorful photo of each animal on a page complete with simple but eye-catching backgrounds.
The illustrations are bright, and the animals have a minimalist quality to them that makes them clean and easy to identify. One page will show the animal awake and the other asleep, often in its respective bed, whether it’s a grassy field or a tree branch.
The sleeping illustrations utilize polka dot backgrounds in various color schemes to show the animals sleeping peacefully. The polka dots give off a dreaming quality that promotes rest and gives off a sense of regeneration.
The illustrations almost seem like they’re glowing. Yet at the same time, the color palette is calming, like a night light or those glow-in-the-dark stars that adorn childhood bedroom walls.
My recommendation
I recommend Do They All Sleep? to pre-school aged and even early readers who love animals and are curious about our daily routines. The language is simple enough for those who are able to read basic vocabulary words, with the clear illustrations to help out. It’s also the perfect bedtime story to calm down hyper sleepers and encourage them to mimic the beloved animals in the book.
An interview with Srividhya Lakshmanan
What is your writing background? Do you have any formal training or experience?
I do not have any formal training in writing. I started writing stories in high school but never considered making anything out of it. Then, in late 2019, I wrote a children’s short story for a competition, and that’s when it all started. In two years, I published three picture books and a short story collection.
What made you decide to write a children’s book, and what gave you the inspiration for this particular story?
The idea of writing children’s books comes from my love for picture books and animation movies.
Do They All Sleep? is an outcome of our family bedtime conversation. We were discussing the need for sleep, and I shouted, “Eureka!”
What do you want readers to take away from your story?
Everyone knows you should work while you work and play while you play, but I consider it even more critical is sleeping while you sleep. A night of good sleep can go a long way in keeping our physical and mental health in perfect shape. While this book is a light read, it’s an ideal conversation starter for parents to reiterate the need for a good sleep. I hope children enjoy the rhymes and answer the questions before dozing off.
There’s a mixture of different species of animals featured in the book, yet they all tie together as animals you’d find in the zoo. How did you choose the animals to feature in the book?
The idea is to introduce children to a variety of sleep styles. Once I picked the sleep styles, the choice of animals fell in place. Yes, they are zoo animals, but that was not intentional. Today, we get to see more animal species in the zoo than in their native habitats!
How much research did you do before writing the book? Did you learn anything new about sleep?
I spent a couple of weeks reading about animal sleeping habits, understanding their habitats, and long-listing the picks for the book. Of course, I learnt quite a lot about sleeping habits. For example, how animals living in the same habitat have different styles. Some animals slept in the open, while others in their comfortable nest. A good amount of material is available for human and animal sleep habits.
I like the interactive questionnaire at the end of the story. How did you come up with that?
Thank you, Laura. I hope the book will be a good conversation starter between an adult and a child. And so, I included a fun question for every animal. After completing the animal part of the book, I felt something was missing. After a lot of deliberations, the idea of asking the children about their sleep preferences seemed like the best fit.
The illustrations are really colorful and fun. How closely did you work with the illustrator, and is the result what you originally imagined?
The best part about working on this book and my other picture books is the illustrator. She is my fourteen-year-old daughter, Akansha Krishnan. First, I give her the script and let her come up with a draft sketch, then we fine-tune the illustrations. Yes, I liked how the book shaped.
Have you heard any feedback from your readers about your book? What did they have to say?
The feedback has been very encouraging. Children loved the simple illustrations and rhymes. Adults thought it is a great way to reiterate the value and importance of sleep. Readers also felt the book is for all ages!
At the end of your book, you feature companion books to Do They All Sleep? How do your books all tie together?
Yes, there are two other picture books. I think the closest is Do You See the Giant? It conveys that no one is big or small. Another book, The Delicious Shadow talks about not deciding in haste.
Are you working on anything new? Are there any other subjects or genres you’d like to tackle in the future?
Yes, I am working on my new book, again a picture book. The book’s theme is teaching children about finance, savings, and economics.
I would love to write some research-based non-fiction as well as mystery novels.
Author Links (links will open in a new tab)
Buy it!
Buy a copy of Do You See the Giant? By Srividhya Lakshmanan here, and help support local bookstores! This is an affiliate link, and I will earn a commission on any sales.
Buy a copy of Do They All Sleep? here!
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Thank you, Laura, for the detailed review. I thoroughly enjoyed the interview.
Do They All Sleep? sounds like a delightful book! I love that the illustrations and rhymes go hand in hand and round out the story. <3