Review: The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep & Giveaway

Every Saturday, I host a feature called Kid Konnection -- a regular weekend feature about anything related to children's books. This week I'm going to share with you an adorable book that is supposed to help children sleep better!

Summary: The groundbreaking #1 bestseller is sure to turn nightly bedtime battles into a loving and special end-of-day ritual. This child-tested, parent-approved story uses an innovative technique that brings a calm end to any child’s day.

Do you struggle with getting your child to fall asleep?

Join parents all over the world who have embraced The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep as their new nightly routine.

When Roger can’t fall asleep, Mommy Rabbit takes him to see Uncle Yawn, who knows just what to do. Children will join Roger on his journey and be lulled to sleep alongside their new friend.

Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin’s simple story uses a unique and distinct language pattern that will help your child relax and fall asleep—at bedtime or naptime.

Reclaim bedtime today! -- Crown

How I wish there had been a book like THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP by Carl-Johan Foressen Ehrlin when my daughter was little. She was never a good sleeper and I swear she didn't sleep through the night until she was four years old. THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP pretty much guarantees that it will make anyone fall asleep... if you read it the right way!

THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP is already a bestseller -- evidently there are a lot of kids out there similar to my daughter. And many parents swear by it. (Of course, there are also parents who have not had the same luck!) Basically, the general idea is that the content in THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP is based on powerful psychological techniques for relaxation. I think it almost sounds like a type of hypnosis.

There actually is a story to THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP. Unlike his many siblings, Roger Rabbit can't fall asleep even though he really wanted to. He tried to calm his mind, but nothing worked. He went to talk to Mommy Rabbit and she decided to take him to see Uncle Yawn. Uncle Yawn has magic spells and magic sleeping powder which have worked before. Along the way, Roger Rabbit encounters other animals who had good sleeping advice like breathe slowly and let your body be heavy.

I honestly wish I could try this book out on a little one. On one hand, I can see that the cadence and story itself would help kids to relax and eventually fall asleep. However, on the other hand, I'm not sure if would have worked with a three year old Booking Daughter. The book is rather long for little ones with each page spread having pictures on one side and a fair amount of text on the other. I don't know that either one of my kids could have sat through the entire story. Of course, that's kind of the idea... that they can fall asleep before even finishing the book.

You might be wondering how this book works. Well, there are specific instructions to the reader on how to read THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP. For example, it recommends that the child use up excess energy before listening to the story, and it also mentions that it might take a few tries of reading the book before the child can relax. As the reader, you are supposed to use "your best fairy-tale voice" and have no interruptions. You are also supposed to read the bold, italic and parenthetical sections a specific way.

I love the idea of THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP, and I do think it can help kids fall asleep faster. Like anything else, it's probably not going to work one hundred percent of the time, but I definitely think it's worth a shot if your child is having difficulty falling asleep!

*****
Carl-Johan Forssén Ehrlin is a behavioral scientist with a bachelor's degree in psychology and a teacher of communications at a Swedish university. He is also a life coach and leadership trainer. Carl-Johan has combined all these skills and experiences in developing the techniques in this book. Read more about the author at carl-johan.com.

Thanks to Random House Kids for providing a review copy of this book.

Giveaway alert: I have a copy of THE RABBIT WHO WANTS TO FALL ASLEEP and a $25 Carters gift card to get some cozy pajamas for your little rabbit!

To enter, just fill out the form below before Friday, October 30 at 11:59 p.m. EST. I will randomly select and notify the winner the following day. This contest is open to those of you with U.S. addresses only. Good luck!



If you'd like to participate in Kid Konnection and share a post about anything related to children's books (picture, middle grade, or young adult) from the past week, please leave a comment as well as a link below with your name/blog name and the title of the book! Feel free to grab the little button too!