Before I Wake Up…

Delectably dreamy and glowingly gorgeous are the illustrations of Britta Teckentrup’s latest picture book. I’ve loved every one of her books thus far but I think this one tops them all.

We are in the company of the little girl narrator as we leave worries far behind and accompany her and her lion friend on a flying bed to that pre-sleep imaginary world of the moonlit night – a ‘world without end.’ It’s a journey that can mean confronting storms and rough seas as well as feeling gentle breezes, swimming with whales and other ocean creatures. A journey that takes us deep into a dark wood where all kinds of wild animals roam, a mysterious place where, with a huge furry friend, a small girl can feel safe and fearless as night gives way to morning light and it’s time to bid farewell to both the dark and her protective nocturnal companion.

The gentle lyrical quality of the rhyming text is perfect for a bedtime story but this is not a book to be kept solely for bedtime reading. Britta Teckentrup conjures up these magical scenes with her stunningly beautiful, collage style illustrations in muted shades and rich earthy tones, the layering of which gives real depth to each spread. On some occasions the ebb and flow of the little girl’s dreams are entirely untrammelled by words, allowing readers to immerse themselves into the visual narratives to be discovered within the wordless spreads.