Capturing the slow rhythm of a sleep world, Margaret Wise Brown writes of birds and animals, automobiles and sailboats, and finally children as they settle down for the night in the quiet darkness.

To the very young child the book is an irresistible invitation to sleepiness. Step by step, he participates in the story, putting his head under his arm in imitation of the birds, lying down like the sheep in the field. At the climax, when the children go to bed, he is ready to follow their example.

Jean Charlot's softly colored lithographs catch the drowsy spirit of the text, creating a world of warmth and security. This is a little book—and purposely so—for it is just the right size to take to bed. It is the perfect answer to the inevitable request: "Read me a story before I go to sleep."

From the dust jacket