This is Not a Sleepy Bear Book - Perfect Picture Book Friday #PPBF

Maria Marshall
2 minutes ago
4 min read

This is a funny double nod to kids who hate to nap or sleep and to their caregivers. Wonderfully playful illustrations enhance the tension between "the plan" and reality and join in a riotous, yet tender, twist on a bedtime story.

Book cover - a wide-awake bear in bed, as an owl tries to read him into hibernation.

This is Not a Sleepy Bear Book

Author: Brian Gehrlein

Illustrator: Jennifer Harney

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (November 11, 2025)

Ages: 4 - 8

Themes:

Bedtime, hibernation, bear, friends, celebration, and humor.

Synopsis:

The classic "bear hibernation" story is turned on its head in this hilarious read-aloud full of surprises, perfect for a cozy winter read and story time year-round!

This is was supposed to be a sleepy bear book—a gentle, quiet story. Until Bear opened his cozy, quiet den, only to find—A DJ and a disco ball? Guitar riffs and a booming bass? A random jazz flute? Stop all these shenanigans! THIS ISN’T WHAT HAPPENS IN A SLEEPY BEAR BOOK!

Things only get noisier and more chaotic with every turn of the page. Winking at storytime conventions in a way that’ll crack kids up, This Is Not a Sleepy Bear Book combines classic bedtime story tropes with visual, giggle-worthy surprises that offer a memorable twist and a great read-aloud.

Opening Lines:

This is a sleepy bear book—

a gentle, quiet story.

So, settle in. Snuggle up. And get ready

for a long winter’s nap with Bear. . . .

What I LOVED about this book:

Starting with an idyllic, almost magical "Hundred-Acre Woods" like spread . . . with a bit of sparkle, a playful fall wind playing with leaves, and a lovely lyrical text ("Deep in the woods, leaves swirled to the ground. Morning frost sparkled on the forest floor. Bear sniffed the crisp air and knew it was time . . . time for a long winter’s nap."), the reader is perfectly set up for a gentle hibernation, bedtime book. Until . . . Bear opens the door of his den,

Internal spread - in the woods with a fall breeze blowing leaves across the bottom of the page with a wispy swirl. On the left, an owl sits on a branch reading a book. On the right, bear stands in front of a big red door - yawning.

Text © Brian Gehrlein, 2025. Image © Jennifer Harney, 2025.

and humorously discovers "A ten-piece drum set? Sick guitar riffs? A random jazz flute?" and is super excited to join the rumpus! Much to the consternation of Owl - whose mission is to get bear to bed for hibernation, to avoid a cranky bear. I adore how Owl resets the story. In the bottom right corner, playing with the convention of a book, Owl physically flips the corner to turn the page.

Internal spread - an excited bear, ready to rock out, steps into his den to find a racoon and wolf playing electric guitar, amps and speakers everywhere, a fedora-wearing snake playing flute, and a squirrel plays drums. In bottom right corner, owl starts to turn the page.

Text © Brian Gehrlein, 2025. Image © Jennifer Harney, 2025.

Stop all this racket!

There are no

musical shenanigans

in a sleepy bear book!

Returning to the woods, Owl and Bear discover the weather has changed. Icicles droop from branches and the gentle wispy wind has turned into a gusty breeze. Notably, two characters in the background - a headphone wearing goose and an opossum hanging from a tree - feature prominently on the following spreads. When Bear opens the den door this time, an excited Bear and an extremely startled Owl discover a disco ball, lasers, and a dance party. Which includes a deer dancing with the snake.

Collage photo of the book jacket lying on, and across, the corner of the book's cover - a large yellow bear reclined against a big, red tree, with the title written in the branches, set on a lighter red back ground and surrounded by a yellow decorative frame.

I love how Jennifer Harney plays with the text. On Owl's first couple of attempts, the lyrical and gentle text describes the woodland scene and the need for a nap. And the accompanying illustrations are softly colored, natural and have just a hint of whimsy. Whereas, when the den door opens, the illustrations gorgeously shift to bold, bright, and raucous scenes, playing off the shorter sentences, animal activity, and Owl's increasing angst. She also created a great undie for the book!

Trying another reset, the pair stand outside the den in a snowbank. At his point Owl drops the lyricism, speeds up the story, and drags a yawning bear into a den still filled with crazy friends, and this time crammed with balloons. He totally loses it. Owl orders everyone out, and looking crazed, yells . . .

[This feeling familiar to any parent or caretaker out there?]

Internal spread - close-up of owl's face, with wide dazed, crazed eyes.

This is definitely NOT what Owl has planned or what he truly believes Bear needs. He is determined to get Bear off to a cozy, quiet, start to his winter nap. So, one last reset. Forget speeding up the story or even going back to the woods. This time, against a plain white background, Owl does a "super abridged" version - "Stuff about winter! Stuff about Bear! Blah, blah, blah, cranky—YAWN!" and Owl shoves Bear into his den. Where they each make an important discovery.

A super entertaining and engaging book on friendship and flexibility. This book is a great addition to "bedtime" books and introduces two great characters who may well have more adventures tucked in their fur and feathers.

Resources:

Photo collage of an easy origami bear, a harder bear, an easy origami owl , and a harder owl.

make your own origami bear (easy) and (harder) and origami owl (easy) and (harder). What kind of adventures will they have?

have you ever thrown a surprise party? Write a description, or draw an image, of how you surprised your friend or family member. If you haven't, how would you pull off a surprise party for a friend or family member?

Pair this with Bear Can't Sleep and Bears Stays up for Christmas by Karma Wilson, illustrated by Jane Chapman and Wide-awake Bear by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Jean Kim for some other bear shenanigans around bedtime.

If you missed my interview with Brian Gehrlein on Monday, find it (here).

This post is part of a series of blog posts by authors and KidLit bloggers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays. For more picture book suggestions and resources see Susanna Leonard Hill's Perfect Picture Books.