Before we sleep by Giorgio Volpe and Paolo Proietti

 I've looked at the charming art of this book before and finally decided to splurge on a copy for my personal collection.

This is the first book and opens with a softly muted forest of leaves and grasses in browns, reds, and grays. A sleek fox, Little Red, appears, delighted that they can more easily hide from Hazel the dormouse... so they can play hide-and-seek. The two friends romp through the pages, until Hazel prepares for hibernation and Little Red tries to convince them to stay up, afraid of the loneliness that will ensue. The book ends with Hazel's reassurance that they will be there in the spring and the two friends fall asleep together.

From a storytime/librarian's perspective, although cute, this book isn't really ideal as a read-aloud. The text is rather lengthy and the ending abrupt. It's very slow-paced and would be unlikely to hold the attention of the average toddler or preschooler. The art, although I enjoyed it, is also not something they'd be expecting - the dull, muted colors are restful and the soft glow of the orange fox is delightful, but other than the illustrations of Hazel's home in a teapot, there's not the usual flashy colors and action most kids expect.

Verdict: I personally enjoyed this story and added it to my own collection, but it's a niche purchase at best and will only appeal to a small group of kids and parents, so most likely to be purchased by a larger library with a significant budget.

ISBN: 9781636550046; This edition published 2021 by Red Comet Press (translated from the Italian); Purchased for my personal library