I’m NOT Sleepy

• Written and Illustrated by Raahat Kaduji

• Published on 14th March 2024 by Alison Green Books

When sitting down to read this book I anticipated it being very sleep focused and was pleasantly surprised that it focuses more on the adventures that Flora, the smallest dormouse, goes on as a result of not being tired when all the other dormouse are ready for more sleep. Flora is incredibly brave venturing out by herself, and her fierce determination to see the world drives her to do so, but it is those she comes across along the way that make the adventures all the more special, and offer her the companionship she is familiar with from the other dormice.

Flora ventures off into the air onboard Duck’s back, with incredible landscapes below her to appreciate and admire, and then meets Frog when she is dropped off at the pond, who educates her on all the pond related things she has no knowledge of. You can definitely see parallels between Flora and the intended reader, both being small, inexperienced in the big wide world, and needing to learn about things found in their surroundings so that they build up their knowledge bank. This thought put a huge smile on my face because we all have our own Flora in our lives that we aspire to help thrive.

Flora learns about frog spawn, and lifecycles as a result, which is something I fondly remember explaining to my not so little ones, and she also learns about other animals milestones too, with ducklings being born in Spring, and swiftly taking to the pond, and baby birds learning to fly, and all the while seeing bees busily collecting nectar from flowers to then be able to make honey. There is so much that younger readers will learn about the natural world from this book, and I admire how beautifully it is all pulled together by seeing it through Flora’s eyes and experiencing it with her.

Seasons are also threaded into Flora’s story, with her writing postcards home to the other dormice throughout Spring, Summer, and Autumn, but when Winter arrives and the land is covered in snow and looking bleak, Flora finds herself alone as most animals are hibernating. This is when she finds herself feeling sleepy, and settles down to sleep in the most unlikely and unsafe place any dormice could possibly find themselves, but Flora doesn’t know this because shes fallen asleep peacefully. It is only when a beetle sees that Flora is in the presence of a Fox that it is all the animals Flora has befriended along her journey who one by one join the rescue mission to get Flora away from the danger she is in. This chain of help flows all the way back to the dormice and they do not hesitate to go safe little Flora, and the book has the beautiful ending that Flora and her story deserves. I was so delighted by just how much adventure and information were contained in this one story, it is a heart warming and feel good book that is informative throughout, and I would love to return to Flora in future titles too.

Raahat Kaduji has also written and illustrated I’m Not Scary, so if you haven’t given that a read yet I would recommend it, as these books are standalone but awesome picture books that hit the right note with younger readers. As both author and illustrator Raahat has definitely put everything into making this book as stunning to look at as it is to read, and I love how beautifully depicted each unfolding scene is, with it being impossible to pick a favourite. I love how adorable little Flora is drawn, and that even though she is small in stature the adventure she goes on and the experiences she has along the way do not faze her one bit, and the vastness of the journey she has embarked on is reflected so brilliantly in the scenery and surroundings of the illustrations too.

This is the perfect bedtime story as you look for little ones to wind down ready for sleep. They will be so invested in Flora’s adventures that when she settles down in Winter for a cosy sleep (in a not so ideal location!) it won’t be long before little ones are yawning, and then off to sleep dreaming about Flora in other adventures – or even joining Flora on those she has had, and can continue to have in the imaginations of these inspired little ones.