BOOK REVIEW: The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep
How I Discovered the Book:
Getting children off to sleep can cause troubles in any household that’s why I am always on the lookout to find new and exciting story books to send little ones off on their bedtime journey.
The mum that recommended this particular story was advised to use it by her social worker after telling her about the problems her daughter had sleeping. She had tried all the usual things: hot bath with lavender, wind down time before bed, playing soft music but she said this book had worked well for them. At first, she read right to the end of the book but as the nights went on she would only get about half way through before her daughter fell asleep!
Reading The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep:
The book, ‘The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep’, more intrigued me than anything so I purchased the book online right away. What particularly drew me in was the bold statement on the front cover, ‘I can make anyone fall asleep’ – a claim made by author Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin, who is a behavioural scientist with a degree in psychology.
In the introduction to the book, it provides instructions on how to read the book to get the best effect for your children; it gives hints and tips on how to emphasise the bold text, read the italic text in a slow, calm voice and yawn when reading the main character’s name – Roger (Rohhhh-gerrr). The author also suggests that you read the story in your best fairy-tale voice as well as making sure you are situated in a calm and quiet environment.
Thinking all this could prove to be hard work, I persisted and gave it a go – I began by just reading it aloud to myself as I didn’t think my 21 year old daughter would appreciate a bedtime story! After a few paragraphs, I quickly got into the swing of how to read it in the style suggested by the author and I felt myself becoming very relaxed.
The story flowed nicely, discovering how Roger the rabbit loved to run and play and didn’t want to go to sleep as there were other fun things he would rather do. His Mum then suggests that the next day they go to visit Uncle Yawn, the world’s kindest wizard, to see if he can help. The wizard sprinkles invisible sleeping powder onto Roger so that he will sleep when he gets home and after passing his sleeping friends on the way back, he finally gets into bed and drifts off peacefully.
The Outcome:
I have to admit, by the end of the book I felt very relaxed myself and could see how this story could sooth little ones enough to help them go to sleep. Perhaps it may still be a challenge for the child that bounces off the walls every bedtime but for the child whose brain is active and finds it hard to shut off it could be very beneficial. Overall, I would recommend this book to those struggling at lights off, I can’t guarantee success every time but, if nothing else, it’s a very sweet story.
The paperback is currently available on Amazon for £5.56 and is also available as an audiobook which comes complete with a brilliant fairy-tale voice!
By Monique Oakley
