Let’s Get Sleepy!

This poetic story takes readers on a fun adventure to find Sleepy, the runaway mouse. A group of determined and energetic cats set their minds to find her. Amid this cat-mouse chase, readers get to help find Sleepy on each crowded, double-spread illustration. They search from the highs of mountain tops to the lows of underground caves; from the historic land of dinosaurs to the futuristic moon; and more! After a long day of searching, the cats return home with many stories to tell—but they did not catch Sleepy! However, they did…get…sleepy…and they all went to bed in the end.

New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator Tony Cliff cleverly adds an additional twist on the back cover of the book as he names several of the cat characters, each dressed in a unique style. This adds a challenge to the search-and-find component of the story. Since it is located on the back cover with no mention of locating these cats beforehand, this is likely a technique to have readers want to re-read the book with a new mission: to find the cats on each page!

The impressive, jam-packed illustrations were produced using a combination of traditional and digital techniques, primarily 2B pencil on copier paper. These illustrations tell a story of their own as there are many different fun activities that the cats and other animals are engaging in on each page.

A young audience is sure to find joy while engaging in this humorous, rhyming story. Let’s Get Sleepy! would make an excellent addition to any home or school bookshelf. Children may not be attracted to the story by the front cover image (five cats chasing a crown-wearing mouse), but they will be mesmerized upon opening it up to discover that they’re jumping into an adventure. Then, Let’s Get Sleepy! will likely become a favourite.