Searching for Sleep

Supposedly hibernating for the winter, all six bears should be enjoying a nice, long peaceful sleep. However, one is struggling mightily to find that elusive sleep that his parents and siblings are enjoying. And it isn’t as if the little cub hasn’t tried “…lying on one side, then the other. On his tummy, on his back.” He tries all the tricks that might work to no avail. His brothers and sisters are no help, and then he takes his mother’s sleepy advice to try to find that intangible sleep, and so he proceeds to do an exhaustive search, under covers, under beds, and rugs. The cub ends up in the “kitchen” when his father sleepily mutters words that end the little bear’s search.

Sleep is a trickster!
There is no way to catch it!
But the moment you stop looking for it,
it finds you.

This charming lighthearted story, a perfect tale to share with little ones who are struggling to settle down for the night, offers an ending that is comforting and satisfying. Pierrette Dubé has created a lovely tale that is both warmly welcoming and comedic. Truthfully, many adults will relate to the difficulties of drifting off to a peaceful night’s sleep.

The restlessness of the cub is perfectly and humorously captured in the soft pastel and color pencils drawings of Godbout. The illustrations in Searching for Sleep are especially appealing to the intended audience who will find them engaging and as accessible as the topic itself.