Hello, friends! Our book today is Stop That Yawn!, written by Caron Levis and illustrated by LeUyen Pham, a wonderfully unique bedtime fairytale.

Gabby is plumb tired of being, well, tired. All the pajamas, storytimes, and lullabies are simply too humdrum, and she’s ready for a change of pace. So one night, she convinces her Granny to take her to Never Sleeping City, arriving on her flying bed. Here is a place where there are no bedtimes, no sweet dreams, and nothing to do but stay up all night at carnivals, shows, and parties. But as Gabby and Granny are enjoying the ferris wheel, it happens: a yawn! Escaping from Granny’s mouth, the yawn quickly spreads through the city, overtaking the human and anthropomorphic animal citizens alike. Gabby tries to keep the partiers, the marching band, the mayor and even the reader from spreading the yawn and drifting off to sleep, but to no avail – once a yawn is passed on, there’s no stopping it. At last, Gabby accepts that a little sleep isn’t the worst thing, and settles in to bed with Granny – to keep the party going in her dreams.

Strange, delightful, and fabulously creative. Launching from the idea of the contagious yawn – a phenomena we’re all familiar with – the story ties into timeless imaginings of kids at bedtime: a place where they can stay up as late as they want, and the fight to stay awake even as sleep overtakes them. The Never Sleeping City, even in a half-muted palette, is a treasure trove of detail and character, and was a joy to explore along with Gabby. And the story balances the excitement of an adventure with the tone of a bedtime story nicely, gently concluding that sleep may not be as fun, but it’s necessary and inevitable. The length was great and JJ loved the vivid illustrations. A fresh and fun bedtime story, and it’s Baby Bookworm approved.

(Note: A copy of this book was provided to The Baby Bookworm by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.)