Ways of Sleeping

After finishing Dreamland last week, I have been sleeping better...or maybe just appreciating the sleep I do get and incorporating a few of the recommendations from the book. No screen glare after 8:00 p.m. A reasonable calming routine that sometimes involves milk and a cookie. A bit of reading by a low light. Clearing my mind. Accepting my dreams.

I could also follow the advice given to the young, not-tired girl by her parents in Mary Logue's Sleep Like a Tiger. Despite her insistence that she is not sleepy, they insist she put on pajamas, wash her face, brush her teeth, and climb into bed. Then they tell her how all the creatures she loves go to sleep. The dog curls up in a ball on a lovely blue couch. The cat stretches out on a rug in front of the fireplace. Bats tuck in their wings. Whales circle the ocean. Snails "curl up like a cinnamon roll inside their shell." Grizzly bears make cozy dens. And tigers find shade before sleeping to stay strong.

I love how her non-sleepiness is resolved. But I especially love Pamela Zagarenski's lovely artwork. The everchanging backgrounds and patterns captivate me, and the unique additions of banners and crowns (and a traded Raggedy Ann and stuffed tiger) keep my eyes searching.