Where Fireflies Sleep - Karen A. Wyle - ★★★.¾

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AUTHOR: Karen A. Wyle
ILLUSTRATOR: Barbara Dessi
GENRE: Children's Picture Book
RATING: 3.75 stars.

In a Nutshell: A bedtime story set around bedtime. Sweet and calming. Great for little ones to read and relax before nodding off to dreamland.

Story Synopsis:
A little girl named Molly and her dad are waiting out on the front porch on a warm summer evening. Once darkness falls, they both excitedly watch the flickering glow of the fireflies until it is time for Molly to go to bed. But Molly wants to do one last thing before she sleeps.


This is quite an easy-going story, written in simple prose and with only two characters. There are no needless flourishes or complications. Just a straightforward plot that is perfect to help kids relax before their bedtime.

I love how the book focussed just on the father and the daughter, without any justification for where the mother might be. Daddy-daughter bonds are anyway special, and this story depicts the closeness between Molly and her dad in a touching way.

Must add that there is a third character, albeit in a non-speaking role. And that is Molly’s cat, who is an important part of the illustrations, adding to the fun with its kitty antics.

The illustrations are also conducive to bedtime. The colours are in muted pastels, with a spotlight on the humans. Molly’s appearance is quite cute, with her lovely curls stealing the show. The darker lighting nature scenes allows us to see the fireflies’ glow. But I am disappointed that the fireflies were shown on the page only after they “went to bed.” In the drawings where they are aglow, all we can see is the tiny yellow light indicating their presence.

There is a little author’s note at the end, indicating how she took a little creative liberty with the “bedtime” of fireflies to make it match with Molly’s. I appreciate that honest clarification. I would have liked an additional note explaining how a firefly glows, explained in child-friendly terms. (A close-up drawing of a firefly would have fit in perfectly with the content of this page.) I am sure at least some children will ask this question to the adult reading them the book, and it would have been helpful to have this note right at the end of the book instead of searching the details online.

All in all, this will work nicely as a bedtime read to little ones as almost every component of the book lends itself to a soothing experience. The vocabulary and content make this perfect for kids aged 2-5 years.

My thanks to author Karen A. Wyle for providing me with a complimentary copy of “Where Fireflies Sleep”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.

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