'Arlo: The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep' Blog Tour
Arlo: The Lion Who Couldn't Sleep
Written and illustrated by Catherine Rayner
Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to Arlo the lion! He is absolutely ecstatic to finally meet you, he's just a bit... tired.
Poor Arlo finds it very tricky to get to sleep. As you know, lions need an awful lot of sleep, but at night-time he often gets distracted and restless and then before you know it, it's morning again. He hasn't had so much as a quick snooze so will simply have to go about his day in a slumberly daze. (I can totally relate, Arlo!) But that won't do. How will this glorious creature ever manage to do his 'lion jobs' if he hasn't had a moments rest?
Enter Owl! While out for a slow stroll one evening, Arlo desperately asks the world "Will I ever sleep again?" Thankfully, Owl was listening and swoops into Arlo's life like the wise, kind bird that she is. She offers Arlo some much needed advice and sets about making his world a calming, restful place one again. Let's hope that it works - keep your fingers crossed!
Like all of Catherine's beautifully illustrated books, Arlo is completely breath-taking! The bold colours of the sunsets, the animated, ever-curious facial expressions and the shimmery front cover all add to the magic of this tale, the loving relationships between the characters and the wonder of their journey. From start to finish, this story is an utter delight to delve into. We as the readers, make discoveries alongside the characters, we enlighten friends through Owl's wise words and we see the bright morning sun through Arlo's refreshed eyes. We live their journey with them and soothe our own bodies simultaneously. What a treat this is! (Especially for those of us who, like Arlo, find it hard to settle and sleep... Keep reading this post for some helpful 'sleep' tips.)
How to Help Sleepless Lion Cubs - with 5 top tips from Arlo, Owl and Me
As soon as I read the title of Arlo's story, I knew immediately that I would be able to empathise with him. Not because I have my own sleepless little lion cubs at home, but because 'sleep' is something that I have always struggled with myself - which understandably sounds bizarre because it should be the most natural thing in the world to do. Whether it's my mind running through the list of 'what I need to do tomorrow', my body not feeling calm/relaxed enough to sleep just yet, or those frustrating to-do's that pop into my head because I remember that I haven't done them at 2am, sometimes sleep can just be tricky. I wonder if any of you (or your little ones) are able to relate to this too? I know that I've been like this for as long as I can remember so have always been on the lookout for handy advice to help my sleep patterns. Well, with that in mind, I've put together a list of tips that might support you when you find that you just can't sleep either - with a little help from Arlo and Owl:
1. Read a story. This might sound obvious and I'm sure lots of you will do this already but it's worth repeating because hey, we all love books here, right?! Reading before you sleep distracts your mind, calms your body and hopefully will help your eyes to drift off to sleep. Of course, this does depend on the book - hands up if you used to read until the wee hours of the morning as a child because you wanted to devour just one more chapter?
2. Drink something warm and comforting such as warm milk with honey, hot chocolate or Horlicks 30 minutes before you go to bed. This is especially wonderful in the cooler months - I highly recommend giving the warm milk with honey a try, if you like drinking milk that is. Unfortunately, I've never been able to drink tea or coffee too late in the day because I will be awake all night. (I guess that's to be expected though).
3. While you're lying in bed, close your eyes and breathe in deeply, then exhale. Repeat this approximately 10-20 times. This is another great tip for relaxing your body and distracting your thoughts. I suppose it works in the same way as counting sheep (which never worked for me, personally).
4. Arlo would agree with me here - make sure that your sleeping environment is just right. We've all had nights where we've been too hot, too cold, had too much light in the room or a lot of noise coming from some unidentifiable place - usually the neighbour's cat outside. To make sure that your mind and body are able to 'switch off', you need all distractions around you to be minimised as much as possible. Easier said than done, I know, but so worth the effort.
5. And now it's Owl's turn - you'll have to read Owl's beautiful 'sleep song' for yourself, but the calming rhythm and relaxing instructions will surely work wonders for your soul! You just need to relax your body, your mind and your breathing... feel as if you are calm and sinking. Imagine that you are visiting a place that you'd like to be and spotting the sights you've always wanted to see. Before you know it, you'll be drifting off to sleep :)
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| Arlo gazing at the magnificent morning sky. |
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| Owl swooping through the trees. |
I honestly feel completely honoured to have been included in this blog tour. Not only because of the gorgeous Arlo and his very relatable story, but because I have been a HUGE fan of Catherine's work for many years! When I started working in a school just over 10 years ago now, the first picture books that I remember the children asking me to read with them (and I soon went on to purchase because they are utterly stunning!), were books written and illustrated by Catherine Rayner - Harris Finds His Feet and Ernest. Somehow, she creates characters that are so endearing both in personality and in expression, that they stick with you. They become a part of your life from then onwards, almost as if they are your dearest pets who are so, so loved and frequently amuse everyone around them because of their individual quirks. Luckily, you will all get to meet Arlo tomorrow (20th August), as he pounces onto the shelves of bookstores near you - or yawns snoozily and pads onto the shelves? Who knows? Anyway, I hope you all enjoy meeting him as much as I have done and fingers crossed the sleep tips are helpful for you too!
With all my best wishes. Happy reading (and sleeping) to you all,
Maxine x
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