Sleep

Written and illustrated by Kate Prendergast to draw attention to the fact that most of the non-domesticated animals in this book are, to some extent, endangered (apart from the ant and the meerkat), the good cause is not well-served by the production.  There is a sleeping creature on each page, and sometimes across a double spread, with a short description, e.g. “tigers sleep in the heat, while penguins sleep in the cold”. The illustrations are fashionably retro, but the colours are reminiscent of 50’s Ladybird books, and the animals are not always well drawn. The sleeping cow looks more like a dog, and the cockerel is not in proportion with his feet.  “Chicken” is used as a plural, which is not right. There are some interesting facts at the back about the length of time that all these animals sleep, which is why this review is marked for 5-8 as well as infant, but there are better books than this about animals.