Books
I’M NOT SLEEPY!

(JUST BEING ME series)

We all need to go to bed at night. The JUST BEING ME book — I’M NOT SLEEPY! — came to me one night when I was very tired and remembered a night when my children were young, and it was bedtime, and they were not sleepy. I was exhausted and they were jumping up and down and singing, “We’re NOT sleepy!” That night, I almost fell asleep reading their bedtime story. One book did slip out of my hands. My children thought that was very funny. When I remembered that moment, I realized that most young children would think it would be funny in a story to have a parent fall asleep at bedtime before the child does. I began writing I’M NOT SLEEPY! with just that one idea.

“Book 2 in the “Just Being Me” series addresses one issue that many parents often face, kids not wanting to go to bed! It’s bedtime but the little boy isn’t sleepy. He does everything he can to stay up, so daddy comes in to read a bedtime story. But halfway through the story daddy falls asleep. The little boy tucks his dad in but realizes that he’s sleepy too. But now he can’t get daddy to wake up. A fun story that many kids can relate to. A final note at the back of the book by a professor of child psychology, offers parents advice on bedtime issues.” (Ages 4-8)

-Christina Lewis, KidsBookshelf.com

“This new Just Being Me series combines stories taken from typical daily experiences of a small child and his or her parents with a brief ‘What’s Going On?’ analysis by child psychiatrist Dr. Linda Mayes. I’m SO Mad! was all about shopping with a little one, while I’m Not Sleepy! tackles bedtime, this time with a dad in charge, reading the night-time story.
This little boy is not a bit sleepy, but his Daddy sure is. So the son tucks his father in, kisses him goodnight, and plays with his animals. Eventually he’s tired … but now Dad is snoring in his bed! When Mom shows up, she and the child tickle Daddy to wake him up. By the time that little boy gets to bed, they’re all sleepy, including Kitty, who catnapped through it all.
At the back of the book, Dr. Mayes explains what’s going on in the child’s mind, about night-time fears, and the comfort that bedtime rituals bring to little ones. She also discusses how ‘Children often play about the things they are trying hardest to master – such as going to sleep or saying goodbye’.
I’m Not Sleepy! is another delightful addition to a valuable series that helps both adults and children understand how to cope with the small crises of daily life together.”

-Hilary Williamson, BookLoons.com

“Young children often have trouble going to sleep at night — it’s a time when they’re alone and it’s a big change for them. Many children fill their beds with their favorite stuffed animals to help them feel safe at night, and to help them not feel so scared.
The book, “I’m Not Sleepy!” tells a story through the eyes of a young child, who is supposedly ready for bed…but he says he isn’t sleepy. Why does this sound familiar to me? :) In order to delay bedtime, he piles all of his stuffed animals into his bed, and tells his father that there’s no room for him. Then, his father reads him a story once…twice…until his father falls asleep! After he covers his father, he spends some time showing pictures in a book to his stuffed animal friends. Then he begins to feel sleepy, but he can’t lie down because his father is in his bed! Eventually, his mother helps wake his father, and they both kiss him goodnight. Then it’s off to dreamland with his cat and his stuffed animals.
MyParenTime.com highly recommends this book for young children — they’ll enjoy the descriptive and colorful illustrations, and beginning readers will appreciate the easy-to-read text. This book is part of a new series of picture books called, “Just Being Me,” which gives a child’s-eye view of a child’s everyday challenges, triumphs and experiences. Young children are sure to relate to the child in this story. Parents can use this book as part of their child’s bedtime routine — they’ll be happy to know that other children say goodnight to their parents at bedtime too, and that they will see them again in the morning. Parents can also discuss the many different emotions that young children might feel about going to sleep at night. In addition, the story is the perfect length for very young children.”

-My ParenTime, March 2005