While You Sleep - by Jennifer Maruno

About the Book

In a collage-filled world in which a child's beloved toy rabbits come to life to hang the stars and polish the sun, Jennifer Maruno and Miki Sato create a rhyming bedtime tale that is full of depth and rich color, now available in board book format!

Book Synopsis

Breathtaking collage art and exquisite rhyming couplets showcase fantastical dreams as the natural world is prepared for a new day in this gentle bedtime book.

As the day ends and a little girl is put to sleep by her mother, night-helper bunnies work their magic to tidy and polish the world. These helpers paint flowers, dust butterflies, and charge rainbows to make the world a beautiful place to wake up to.

Miki Sato's collage art, which combines paper, textiles, and embroidery silk, creates a three-dimensional dream world that is rich in detail and texture. Jennifer Maruno uses soothing rhyming couplets that celebrate the beauty of nature, creating a uniquely magical world.

★"A peek into the busy Land of Nod....Maruno narrates in flawless and immersive rhyming verse....Readers will linger over each tiny, essential detail--nothing is extraneous....the text and art are expertly stitched together, each visible and impactful on their own and interwoven into a bewitching whole. A perfect bedtime selection for eye-catching, vibrantly colorful dreams."--Kirkus ★ Starred Review

★"[I]nspired and original...."--Quill & Quire ★ Starred Review

"It's a cozy, positive bedtime story sure to please parents and children alike."--School Library Journal

"There's much to engage and charm in this whimsical, sweet, and reassuring bedtime read."--Booklist

"Rhyming couplets create a whimsical melody while the collage art illustrations will captivate children with their colorful layers and textures...."--Foreword Reviews

Review Quotes

Praise for While You Sleep

2023 Bank Street College of Education Best Children's Books of the Year Selection

2022 Foreword Reviews "Book of the Day" (Nov 10th)

School Library Journal, Fuse 8 - 31 Days, 31 Lists: 2023 Great Board Books

CBC Books "40 Canadian picture books to watch for in fall 2022" Feature

2022 CBC Books "20 Canadian books we can't wait to read in November" Feature

2022 The Children's Book Council "November: Hot Off the Press" feature

2022 Oakville News "Top 11 holiday reads for children & adults" Feature

★"A peek into the busy Land of Nod....Maruno narrates in flawless and immersive rhyming verse....Readers will linger over each tiny, essential detail--nothing is extraneous....the text and art are expertly stitched together, each visible and impactful on their own and interwoven into a bewitching whole. A perfect bedtime selection for eye-catching, vibrantly colorful dreams."--Kirkus ★ Starred Review

★"[I]nspired and original....While You Sleep casts a magic spell that will help lull little ones to sleep, and might just nudge a sleepy grown-up in that direction, too."--Quill & Quire ★ Starred Review

"This lovely picture book shows what one parent tells her little one as she's going to sleep. The text is written in peaceful rhyming couplets, while warmly colored collage illustrations show the tidying up that goes on while people rest.... It's a cozy, positive bedtime story sure to please parents and children alike."--School Library Journal

"A touch of glitter on the cover (the kind that won't come off when a kid rubs it a couple hundred times)....Definitely a sleepy time/getting kids ready for bed book, but it's Sato's art that's the star of the show. The depth she can get with cut paper, and the sheer range of different kinds of materials on show is just kinda cool. It's dreamlike and silly and ultimately very comforting."--School Library Journal, Fuse 8

"In rhyming couplets, a caregiver encourages a child...to embrace bedtime so that a crew of bunny helpmeets can begin their work tidying up the world... the textured scenes remix details from the child's waking life into suitably snuggly dreamscapes."--Publishers Weekly

"The dreamy, lyrical couplets pair beautifully with the enchanting, lushly layered illustrations....There's much to engage and charm in this whimsical, sweet, and reassuring bedtime read."--Booklist

"Rhyming couplets create a whimsical melody while the collage art illustrations will captivate children with their colorful layers and textures--until they drift off to sleep to dream of the brand new world they'll wake up to."--Foreward Reviews

"Author Jennifer Maruno has tapped into childhood imagination to find this cute story....She has written it in rhyming couplets, which little ones will like. The illustrations by Miki Sato are simply stunning....She fills the backgrounds with terrific details to keep little eyes busy and engaged."--Manhattan Book Review

"The power of storytelling and its transcendence into the world of dreams are at the center of this enchanting story....The combination of text and art make this book one that should not be missed....Needless to say, this is the perfect bedtime read and a must-have book!...Reviewer Rating: 5"--Children's Literature

"While You Sleep was the most beautiful picture book I've had the pleasure of reviewing this year.... The cut paper and mixed media collages evoke a snoozy watercolored world.... It is a fanciful little story that children will likely find peaceful and interesting in equal measure.....Highly Recommended"--CM Magazine

"Infused with wonder and faith in the fantastical, While You Sleep is told is song-like rhyming couplets that rock readers into their own dreamy world, perfectly captured in Miki Sato's ethereal collage art....A book about believing the world could be just a little bit better and more beautiful when we wake, While You Sleep is hopeful and magical."--Open Book

"[A] sweet and whimsical bedtime story that invites readers to imagine the world and universe as something being crafted during slumber."--YA Books Central

"Of the three picture books I read this week, While You Sleep might be my favourite.... Each double page spread is a piece of art and brings the story to life.... If you are a parent who reads the same story on repeat, you'll enjoy this one as Sato creates pages with so much to look at."--Book Time

"Maruno's lyrical, rhyming text ebbs and flows from page to page without missing a beat. While You Sleep has the qualities of the great classic bedtime stories like Goodnight Moon...The illustrations are soft and cuddly, soothing and comforting enveloping readers in a warm cozy visual blanket."--Storytime with Stephanie

"[A] gentle bedtime story by Jennifer Maruno with glorious art by Miki Sato....A reassuring story for little ones."--The International Educator

"Soft, serene and utterly sweet....Jennifer Maruno's pleasingly rhythmical couplets paired with Miki Sato's graceful paper collage, textile and embroidered silk art make While You Sleep a recommended picture book to add to your bedtime reading rotation."--Fab Book Reviews

"Infused with sweetness and gratitude for a world of natural beauty, While You Sleep will be a great bedtime read and reminder that our world is one to cherish."--CanLit for LittleCanadians

"5 out of 5 stars....This beautiful book is enchanting! The story sweeps you away into a magical land of dreams.... The collage art is absolutely stunning! I had to stop and stare at each page, looking for all the little details.... perfect for a bedtime book."--Luminous Libro

"You won't have to work hard to make the book sound as good as it looks....The rhyming couplets easily drip from the pages in a way that is comforting and soothing. The whole effect is cozy and cuddly (think Goodnight Moon) and your little reader is bound to fall asleep by the time you reach the final sentence."--Getting Kids Reading

"Soothing playful text and adorable cut out illustrations make for a sweet bedtime read and encourage littles everywhere to close their eyes and recharge.⁠"--Charlotte Offsay (Instagram)

About the Author

Jennifer Maruno is the author of seven novels for middle grade and young adult readers as well as the picture book Moose's Roof. Her novels have been nominated for the Pacific Northwest Young Readers Choice Award, the Hamilton Arts and Culture Award, the Rocky Mountain Book Award, and more. She received her Bachelor of Arts from Waterloo University and Master of Education from Brock University. Formerly the Vice-President of the Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators and Performers, among other literary roles, Jennifer currently enjoys writing and mentoring other writers full time. Jennifer lives in Burlington, Ontario.

Miki Sato is a Japanese-Canadian illustrator who uses a variety of different textures and materials to create three-dimensional images. Originally from Ottawa, she moved to Toronto to complete her degree in illustration from the Ontario College of Art and Design. Her picture books include Snow Days, which was a finalist for the Elizabeth Mrazik-Cleaver Canadian Picture Book Award, Sunny Days, which was a 2021 CBC Books Best Book, Windy Days, which won a Northern Lights Book Award, and Rainy Days.