And J. J. Slept

In this sweet tale of family life from the author of A Stopwatch from Grampa, a boisterous adoptive family welcomes their new baby boy — who, thankfully, has a unique requirement for sleeping!

When J.J. arrives at his new home, his family is bubbling over with excitement to meet him! The four children welcome their tiny new brother, then, when he falls asleep, Dad asks them to try to be quiet. In no time at all, though, the clamor of family life grows loud with drumming on the table, shouting across the room and chattering to the dog. But to everyone’s surprise, J.J. sleeps through it all! Even when the children are running and yelling in his room, J.J. sleeps. “Not much seems to bother this little fella,” says Dad. Well, as they discover, there is one thing that disturbs baby J.J.’s sleep . . .

Author Loretta Garbutt, whose debut picture book, A Stopwatch from Grampa, was named one of Kirkus Reviews Best Books of 2020, perfectly captures the small moments of family life that loom large to young children. Here, a family welcomes their newest member, who has been adopted, a situation not often portrayed in picture books. It’s a heartwarming story that hits all the right notes: humor, a family focus and a delicious twist — the baby hates a quiet house! It offers a wonderful opportunity for conversations about what it means to be a family. The illustrations by Erika Rodriguez Medina warmly portray the busyness of the household and the closeness of the family members, along with loads of relatable and funny antics going on around the baby.