SHHH - SAMPLE

WRITTEN BY

ILLUSTRATED

BY Mathias Townsend

BE DTIME! IT'S

GOOD NIGHT, ANTEATER. SH H H…

S H HH …

SLEEP TIGHT, SLOTH.

A BOOK TO READ AND DREAM...

This book was written to babies who like to read. Or at least to babies who are learning to enjoy holding a book in their hands and listening to the soft voice of an adult reading to them aloud. “SHHH” is an invitation for babies to read before sleeping, be it before a morning or afternoon nap, or even before bedtime at night. Learning how to recognize sleep as an important moment in babies’ routines and building sleep habits is part of their development process.

Here, literature adds a special touch to this process: animals of the Brazilian wildlife are sleeping and we must

encourage them to keep sleeping, chanting expressions and interjections that are repeated throughout the text like a lullaby. And each animal has its own way of sleeping: in their mother’s lap, belly up, belly down, by themselves, or nested by their parents. Just like human babies sleep in each development stage, exploring new possibilities for their own comfort and well-being.

“SHHH” is a book about self-discovery, the discovery of nature and, of course, the loving bonds created between babies and adults during this time of separation and sleep.

HERE'S A BOOK THAT LOVES

NATURE!

Learning about the animals of the Brazilian wildlife and recognizing them as living beings is part of the environmental education of babies and toddlers. After all, the love for nature can be awakened at a very young age, promoting empathy and care for the environment.

In this book, nature is introduced to children by inviting them to think about bedtime, such a special moment of intimacy for all animals. The goal is to depict the sleeping habits of different animals and show how similar they are to our own sleeping and resting habits.

NATURE INSIDE

Based on actual photographs, the illustrations depict newborn animals from our wildlife and allow readers to learn how they look and appreciate their characteristics. Here, the color, size, and shape of the body stand out.

The book also depicts how each animal actually sleeps, based on their natural habits. Both the position (on the lap, belly down, belly up, alone, with the parents, etc.) and where they are in nature (on top of a tree, inside a hole dug on the ground, in the middle of the forest, underwater, etc.) reveal details about the animals’ routines, like the alligator sleeping with one eye closed and the other one… open!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

My name is Aloma and I’m a pedagogue specialized in child development. Besides being a writer, I’m also an editor and publish books for infants and toddlers. My children are all grown up now, but I still remember the time when bedtime was a whole new experience for them and me as well. I soon realized that sleeping is a cultural construct as well as a natural necessity.

I wrote this book to share all of the enchantment that bedtime can represent to children and their families, besides showing a little bit about our wildlife, awakening in children the curiosity and love for nature at a young age.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

My name is Mathias and I’m an illustrator of children’s books. Like most children, I always loved drawing. I loved it so much that I decided to continue drawing even as an adult. I graduated in Industrial Design and now I work creating images and sometimes even text for children’s books. I really enjoy doing that.

My illustrations for this book were made with different techniques: digital painting, conventional painting, and drawing.

I’m actively engaged in environmental and ecological issues, which is why I really enjoyed doing these illustrations, because this book combines everything I love: art, animals, and nature.