book cover

Arlo, The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep

by Catherine Rayner

Interest age: 2 to 4

Published by Macmillan, 2021

  • Picture books

About this book

Poor Arlo the lion is very tired but just can’t get to sleep: it’s too cold at night, his family – though warm – are too wriggly to cuddle up to, and the ground is too scratchy. Desperate for some rest, Arlo meets Owl who sings him to sleep with a special, relaxing song. Arlo wakes feeling refreshed and ready to take on his lionish duties for the day, but wakes Owl from her sleep. Fortunately, Arlo now knows a new song that will help…

A perfect bedtime book, Arlo, The Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep is tenderly illustrated in watercolour as always by Rayner, giving readers gentle pages to fall into and inspire soft, reassuring dreams. Arlo himself is a cuddly, relatable lion we’d all like to snuggle next to, and Owl’s song – repeated twice in the book for maximum bedtime lulling effect – guides children through a gentle relaxation process of stretching and wriggling before settling down to dream. As well as Rayner’s stunning artwork, there’s the reminder that, in the animal world, some creatures are awake in the day and some at night: a useful talking point for parents explaining why we need to sleep at night and help get little ones into a routine if needed.

About the author

Award-winning author and illustrator Catherine Rayner was born in Harrogate and now lives in Edinburgh. She has a BA Hons in Visual Communication and Illustration from Leeds College of Art and Edinburgh College of Art. Much of her inspiration – and occasionally modelling! – for her illustration comes from her pets: her horse Shannon, guinea pig Marvin, dog Ellie, cat Ena and goldfish, Bruce. However, it was animals of a slightly larger kind who were the inspiration for her first picture book, Augustus and His Smile – Catherine drew many of her initial sketches of him whilst watching the tigers at Edinburgh Zoo.

In 2006 Catherine was awarded the Best New Illustrator Award at the BookTrust Early Years awards and was also short listed for the V&A Illustration Awards 2006. Augustus and His Smile was selected as one of five picture books to be featured and recommended on Channel 4's 'Richard and Judy Christmas Party' in December 2006. Since January 2007, Augustus and His Smile has been nominated for the Kate Greenaway Medal and short listed for the 'Read it Again' Cambridgeshire Picture Book Award and the English 4-11 Award 2007. Catherine also regularly exhibits her art work in galleries all over Scotland and also illustrates her own range of cards.

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