While You Are Sleeping

While You Are Sleeping by Alexis Deacon
Illustrated by Alexis Deacon
2006

     While You Are Sleeping your stuff animals get to work.  "Do you ever stop to think what we go through night after night, to look after you?"  They check under the bed for monsters, cover you when you are cold, take the covers off when you're too hot, sooth you when you're sick, scare bad dreams away, and even squish the bedbugs flat so they don't bite you.  "We keep you safe no matter what. That's our job, you see." And why do they do it? Because during the day they receive the best pay, they get to be held and loved by you.
     I simply adore this book.  It's so sweet and even funny.  The illustrations by Deacon are magical and dreamlike.  Deacon is to me one of the most incredible illustrators you'll find.  His illustrations are just enchanting...and his text doesn't fall far behind!  You have to see this book! (And his other ones too...Slow Loris, Jitterbug Jam -illustrated by Deacon-...I'll definitely blog about more of his work).