Pillowland

by Laurie Berkner, Camille Garoche (Illustrator)

Overview

Laurie Berkner, “the queen of children’s music” (People), pairs the lyrics of her beloved hit with Camille Garoche’s gentle illustrations in this winning bedtime picture book—a must-have for fans of Laurie’s music and all things soft and sweet.

I know a place, a kingdom far away,
where people wear pajamas every night and every day.
Where all the houses, the buildings, and the trees
are made of fluffy pillows that are soft as they can be.

Laurie Berkner’s treasured song “Pillowland” is now a beautiful picture book! Featuring magical, lush art by Camille Garoche, Pillowland carries readers away to a feather-fluffed dream world where bedtime is always a grand adventure.

We’re going to land in Pillowland!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781481464680
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
Publication date:	11/07/2017
Sold by:	SIMON & SCHUSTER
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
Lexile:	AD410L (what's this?)
File size:	57 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Recognized as “the queen of children’s music” (People), Laurie Berkner is a singer, songwriter, lyricist, author, and founder of Two Tomatoes Records. She has released twelve bestselling, award-winning albums, was the first recording artist ever to perform in music videos on Nick Jr., and appeared regularly on the network’s Jack’s Big Music Show. Laurie helped develop the short-form animated series, Sing It, Laurie!, on the twenty-four-hour preschool television channel Sprout, and has written music and lyrics for three Off-Broadway children’s musicals. A project close to her heart has been designing the curriculum and training teachers for Laurie Berkner’s The Music in Me, an early childhood music program based on her music and classroom philosophy. Learn more at LaurieBerkner.com.

Camille Garoche studied at the École des Beaux-Arts de Cergy and the Maryse Eloy. Her 3-D, cut-paper illustrations have been exhibited throughout Europe. She is the author-illustrator of Fox’s Garden and The Snow Rabbit. Camille lives in Paris with her partner and two daughters. Visit her online at PrincesseCamCam.Tumblr.com.

Editorial Reviews

10/09/2017
Children’s musician Berkner (We Are the Dinosaurs) brings another of her popular songs to the page, this time serving up a cozy lullaby adventure. The book opens in a lamp-lit bedroom where a girl describes Pillowland to two other children: “All the houses, the buildings/ and the trees/ are made of fluffy pillows that/ are as soft as they can be.” Soon, the children are sailing out the window on the trail of a shooting star, crossing an ocean of feathers to meet Pillowland’s king and queen—who bear more than a passing resemblance to the interracial couple that checks in on the kids in the final scene, back in the bedroom. Garoche (The Snow Rabbit) portrays the children’s whimsical journey in diorama-style scenes featuring cut-paper characters, objects, and buildings; the technique gives the children the look of paper dolls, and fabric elements bring the softness the fantasy setting demands. Sheet music appears on the back cover for families looking to making readings a musical affair. Ages 4–8. Author’s agent: Jill Grinberg, Jill Grinberg Literary Management. Illustrator’s agent: Kirsten Hall, Catbird Agency. (Nov.)

Publishers Weekly

11/01/2017
PreS-Gr 2—A creative picture book interpretation of Berkner's "Pillowland" song that follows three small children on a fantastic bedtime adventure. Three children, one Black, the others pale skinned, are snuggled together in a pillow fort with their stuffed animals and cat. As their imaginations take flight, they ride a pillow train, drive a pillow car, and then travel to Pillowland! They meet the king and queen, eat pillow bread and pillow jam, and end with a pillow fight. The final page returns to the original bedroom setting with all three children peacefully asleep with parents looking in from the doorway. The simple yet magical text with the detailed and comforting illustrations make this a phenomenal bedtime book or even an enjoyable read-aloud choice for a more sedate storytime. The chorus of the song incorporates some excellent sound effects ("fly a magic pillow plane, zoom zoom!"), and Garoche's mixed-media illustrations incorporate cut paper, cloth, and light in intricate and magical assemblies. The lighting is especially marvelous with a few spreads featuring a soft warm glow that seems to come from within the paper creations. VERDICT A recommended purchase for most collections, especially those looking to expand their musical or bedtime story shelves.—Laken Hottle, Providence Community Library, RI

School Library Journal