While you're Sleeping by Mick Jackson illustrated by John Broadley

"Oh, there's plenty needs doing at night time. 

There's plenty going on."

Who works in the night? I'm sure you can easily make a list and then you might pause to think of these people and offer your thanks that they keep our cities, shops, hospitals, factories, electricity sub stations, ambulance drivers, phone support people, and other services humming along while we are all tucked up snug and warm in our beds. 

As with all of the best picture books you should begin by looking closely at the cover. The boy is asleep in a bed that is floating above the city.  It is night time but if you look really closely plenty of people are out and about and when you stretch the book out to look at the back cover, the illustration continues and street lights illuminate the scene along with lights in the windows of shops and the hospital allowing us to look inside and see some of the night workers who we are sure to meet inside this book. I love the way the barcode is presented as a sign on a truck.

Now turn to the end papers. YES they are fabulous. Small vignettes of each worker along with nocturnal creatures such as the owl and fox. There is a baker, mail sorter, window cleaner, and delivery person. When you read this book with a young Australian child you may need to talk about the word lorry or just stop and count all of the busy lorries driving through the night time rural landscape. 

To open this book is like opening a gorgeous box full of jewels – each page is stunning – so too are the endpapers, the cover: the entire production in fact and to read it is like being shown around a gallery by a wise, gently spoken curator eager to open our eyes to how the world works. Red Reading Hub

As you can see, the illustrations in this book are fabulous. Such a different style for your young reading companion to explore. I love the pastel colours and extensive use of patterns. I am also thrilled to report that this large hardcover book is available here in Australia for a very affordable price. On this page from the publisher Pavilion you can see inside John's studio.

Here is an interview with John Broadley where he talks about his work on this book. I love the word breather he uses here: A book with no breather between this amount of intensity might have been too much, plus, in the passages where several things are mentioned (buses, cleaning the streets, trains etc) I thought it would add variety to have these as shaped vignettes. 

While you're Sleeping was one of just five books shortlisted for the 2021 Klaus Flugge prize. “Each year the Klaus Flugge Prize celebrates the art of picture book illustration and puts the brightest new talent in the spotlight. The illustrators on this year’s shortlist demonstrate extraordinary skill and their very different books bring light, colour, warmth and laughter to readers of all ages. Congratulations to them all and very special thanks again to Klaus Flugge who has done so much to support and promote illustrators throughout his career.”

Here is a new book just released by Mick Jackson and John Broadley.