All About Sleep From A to Zzzz - Hardcover

Elaine Scott, author of Poles Apart: Why Penguins and Polar Bears Will Never Be Neighbors, is the winner of the 1999 Science Writing Award. She lives in Houston, Texas.

John O’Brien is a New Yorker cartoonist. He has illustrated dozens of children’s books, including many in the Who Was . . . biography series. He lives in Delran, New Jersey.

Science writer Scott, whose previous books include Close Encounters: Exploring the Universe with the Hubble Space Telescope (1998) and Poles Apart: Why Penguins and Polar Bears Will Never Be Neighbors (2004), discusses a familiar yet mysterious experience: sleep. The book covers a range of topics, including circadian rhythms, dreams, and the functions and stages of sleep. Though historical figures such as Aristotle and Freud come up in the discussion, Scott makes clear that scientists today are continually learning more about the nature and significance of sleep. A large, imaginative cartoon-style drawing appears in each of the 10 short chapters, and sidebars discuss related topics briefly. Though the vocabulary may be challenging for younger students (the jacket flap indicates ages 9–11), the text is clearly written and informative. A list of recommended books and Internet sites is appended. O’Brien’s droll ink drawings and intriguing jacket illustration will draw readers to this inviting book. Grades 5-8. --Carolyn Phelan