Little Spotlights: The Princess and the Sleep Stealer- Elissa Elwick

The Princess and the Sleep Stealer- Elissa Elwick

Group: Picture books
Published: Macmillan Childrens 1st October 2012 this PB edition 1 May 2012
Key Words: Sleepy, Kooky, Adventure

Lilyfae

I like this story, I like the Bobwobs, Jam is my favourite. It’s really fun, I love the bit when they discover the magic sleep dust in the crows nest and sprinkle it!

Tinyfae

Awobabobobs!! Princess Luna saves the day!

A bedtime sleepy time adventure (without making it too obvious) in this moonlit Wonderlandian adventure with a gothic twist in space. Yes it’s a Princess character, but one with stripy tights and gumption who solves her own problems. Ok that sounds a lot but believe me it’s lovely and actually very calming.

The colours and tones are soothing and the plot is about a bedtime adventure instead of ‘going to/get ready for sleep’ so is great for children who get bedtime anxiety.

It reads like a guided meditation script for children with plenty of breathing spaces for the imagination and the soft watercolour illustrations to induce a soporific effect.

There is a playful whimsy from Burtonesque black and white stripes and a journey that Buddy the Elf and Willy Wonka would clamour aspiring to with sugar mountains and liquorice trees.

The pacing and sounds of the words chosen help direct a child slowly but surely towards sleep with some stretching vowels and yawning sounds dotted through too.

I’ll admit I got this book because of two reasons, the aesthetic being a bit playful and alternative plus the sleep angle, though it would be great for children relaxing or to calm down after a buzz of activity, making creative characters or imaginative settings and indeed writing nonsense stories.

The Princess and the Sleep Stealer by Elissa Elwick is published by Macmillan.