A gently reassuring picture book about the milestone of a first sleepover, for fans of The Invisible String by Patrice Karst and Wemberly Worries by Kevin Henkes. Every night at home, Darcy brushes her teeth with strawberry toothpaste; she snuggles in bed with Little Cat; and she falls asleep to the sound of her dad washing the dishes. But tonight, Darcy is having her very first sleepover! Even though it’s at her cousin Kayla’s house, it still feels a little daunting. Kayla has peppermint toothpaste, a baby bear named Charlotte, and howling winds outside her window. Darcy misses her dad and her own cozy bedroom. Should she ask her aunt to take her home? This rewarding tale celebrates the excitement of new experiences and the power of quiet growth. Backmatter also included shedding light on steps parents can take when helping kids prepare for their first sleepover! Christy Ottaviano Books
A child’s first sleepover can be fraught with worry. Their usual routines are disrupted in a new house surrounded by new things and with new adults at the helm. Author-illustrator Julie Fortenberry expertly captures these concerns in Darcy’s First Sleepover, a sensitive, empathetic look at one girl’s first sleepover success.
Fully resonant with the text, the illustrations have a winsome look that is most appealing. A realistic, first-sleepover picture book with a happy ending.
Julie Fortenberry has an MFA from Hunter College. Her abstract paintings have been in the Whitney Museum of American Art. But for the last 16 years she’s been painting for preschoolers and kindergarteners. Her first illustrations were for High Five and Ladybug magazines. She illustrated Eve Bunting’s Pirate Boy, and a series of Sydney Taylor Notable books by Rabbi Jamie Korngold. She is the author and illustrator of Darcy’s First Sleepover, Pearl Goes to Preschool, The Artist and the King, and Lily’s Cat Mask which received a Kirkus starred review and was added to Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library. Her new book, Grandpa and Jake, will be out this spring.
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