Awake

by Mags DeRoma, Mags DeRoma (Illustrator)

Overview

In a big, big city
on a busy street
at the tipity-top of a tall building
lives a girl.

One night, after a story,
a snuggle,
and one last sip of water,
she was getting sleepy...when out of the corner of her eye...


\\ () //
//(__)\\


SPIDER

The girl was no longer sleepy. Now, she was...AWAKE.

In a brilliant debut, Mags DeRoma gives us an empowered young child who is trying to solve the biggest problem she's ever faced: how to get the spider out of her room without actually having to go near it.

With bold cut-paper art, AWAKE is sure to stay with readers for a long time.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250861214
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	10/19/2021
Sold by:	Macmillan
Format:	eBook
Pages:	40
File size:	59 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Mags DeRoma is an artist and storyteller. She makes, writes, designs, draws, paints, and builds thoughtful works, many of them for a young (but discerning) audience. AWAKE is her debut picture book.

Editorial Reviews

12/03/2021

PreS-Gr 1—A girl with deep black eyes, a short black bob, and light tan skin keeps watch with her black dog over a bustling city from the window of her apartment, high in the sky. In striped pajamas, having brushed her teeth, she is sleepy. Then, in the darkness, she spies a spider, and the thought of sleep vanishes from her mind. She thinks about ways to vanquish the spider: lasso, rain spout, smashing it. Nothing suits her, despite the ever greater scale of her plans (a rocket, a crane). When she captures it under a glass, she realizes that it is more frightened of her than she is of it. A stand-off is achieved, as it spins a web outside her bedroom, and she and her dog go to sleep. Lessons for catch and release of bugs are included in DeRoma's charming illustrations, which throw away all laws of perspective as the drama unfolds. The pacing is pitch-perfect as hysteria gives way to reason, compassion, and recognition of a better way. VERDICT Where there is fear, a deep breath seems to help in this comic lesson in kindness and conquering the dark; preschoolers will love it.—Kimberly Olson Fakih

School Library Journal

2021-09-15
An arachnid’s visit awakens a young kid’s empathy.

After “a story, a snuggle, and one last sip of water,” the sleepy narrator is ready to drop off when a spider invades the bedroom. Now wide awake, the kid summons their bravery and looks for something to “smash it with.” Finding nothing, the protagonist, who has pale skin and wears straight, dark hair in a pageboy, gives much thought to how to proceed next, including invoking the lyrics of “The Itsy-Bitsy Spider.” The situation calls for strong measures, so they imagine elaborate schemes about how to thwart this eight-legged nemesis. Finally deciding on a simpler strategy, they trap the spider in an overturned glass—and have an epiphany. Peering with open eyes and open heart at their hairy captive, the kid realizes it’s neither huge nor scary, is likely frightened of them, and just wants to return home. Readers will relate to this cute tale; this kid isn’t so much afraid as bugged by the disruption of bedtime and actively takes solo charge to fix things. The energetic illustrations, collages of paint, pastels, and cut paper, are delightful and feature scenes of twinkling nighttime city vistas and artful spreads incorporating some words into the text in various colors, shapes, and typefaces. The backmatter shows how unwelcome critters may be captured and released humanely and safely. (Kind hearts, courage, and a deep breath help; naming said visitors and waving farewell are optional.) (This book was reviewed digitally.)

Kindness is always a good thing, no matter how many legs the recipient has. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews