Where Do I Sleep?: A Pacific Northwest Lullaby

by Jennifer Blomgren, Andrea Gabriel (Illustrator)

Overview

This beautifully illustrated lullaby book features shimmering salmon fry, a long-legged baby moose, feathery eaglets, and fifteen other Northwest animals bedding down for the night (or day!). Rhythmic and soothing four-line stanzas describe the animals' habitatas and sleeping patterns. Children will love learning about the familiar creatures in this special book, destined to become a regional classic.

"Where do I sleep? In a den underground,
Lined with velvety grass—it's here I'll be found.
In a russet red coat with sooty black socks
And bright golden eyes, I'm a baby Red Fox."

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781570615931
Publisher:	Sasquatch Books
Publication date:	12/16/2008
Edition description:	First Trade Paper Edition
Pages:	20
Sales rank:	215,828
Product dimensions:	9.50(w) x 10.66(h) x 0.16(d)
Age Range:	2 - 5 Years

About the Author

Jennifer Blomgren illustrates her own line of greeting cards, 24 Carrot, Inc., in Port Townsend, Washington. The idea for this book came to her one night, and she wrote most of it in one sitting. She loves nature walks, gardening, and her three dogs. This is her first book.

Andrea Gabriel is an artist in Bellingham, Washington. She received her Bachelor's degree in art from Western Washington University. She is currently working on two other children's books, and would one day like to hide the Pacific Crest Trail.

Editorial Reviews

First-timers Blomgren and Gabriel team up for a tranquil bedtime poem that highlights animals of the Pacific Northwest. A series of pliant stanzas examines the sleeping habits of a dozen and a half different creatures, from sea otters and bald eagles to moose, gray whales and even anemone ("Where do I sleep? In a soft, grass-lined nest,/ Where tender spring boughs hide the place that I rest," says the Hermit Thrush"). The book ends with a child at bedtime ("Where do I sleep? In a bunk bed down low"), whose toy versions of the animals mentioned populate his top bunk. Buoyed by the repetitive refrain of "Where do I sleep?" and lovely imagery (a Gray Wolf pup sleeps on "a pillow of grass"; a Water Dipper sleeps where the rocks are "worn smooth as an old satin slipper"), Blomgren's verses go down smoothly, while oversize pages offer an expansive canvas for Gabriel's accomplished pastels. Hewing to a nature-inspired palette of soft greens, browns and blues, she employs deft line strokes and shading to suggest fur, feathers, fins and blades of grass. The selection of animals may be of particular regional interest, but this appealing collaboration deserves a wide audience. Ages 2-6. (Aug.) Copyright 1999 Cahners Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

PreS-Gr 3-On page after page, a variety of creatures asks the question posed in the title. The answers follow with a description of cliff sides, dens, grass-lined nests, streams, and mountainsides. The illustrations in soft pastels are the perfect accompaniment for this gentle text about the animals of the Pacific Northwest. Each illustration fills the entire page or spread and depicts a watchful, protective adult and offspring in a sleepy pose. The soft greens, gentle blues, and cozy browns will make children want to reach out and "pet" the book. The simple text is reminiscent of Margaret Wise Brown's early work or the soothing, restful words of Reeve Lindbergh's Midnight Farm (Puffin, 1995). This book could be used in a bedtime storytime, for any quiet time, or for a patterned writing exercise. Young readers and reading buddies will want to return to it again and again. Adults will welcome a book designed to produce calm.-Dona J. Helmer, College Gate School Library, Anchorage, AK Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

This tender pair [with Why Do I Sing?] should make lovely bedtime additions. Gentle verses describe the sleeping and singing habits of various animals. Each of the illustrations contains the name of the animal in question. Soft and sweet yet beautifully textured, the images are lovely and will have readers poring over them.
—School Library Journal

Local author Jennifer Blomgren and illustrator Andrea Gabriel set the perfect bedtime tone for your wild ones with Where Do I Sleep? A Pacific Northwest Lullaby. Beautiful illustrations and a melodic lullaby follow Pacific Northwest critters as they prepare for bed each night.
—Seattle's Child

From the Publisher