Little Lek Longtail Learns to Sleep by Bette Killion & illustrated by Beatriz Vidal [Review & Giveaway]

My thoughts: This fable takes the idea that little ones (our very own children) are afraid to go to sleep or afraid of the dark. The colorful Thai Argus pheasant is the little one that can't sleep in this story and he is afraid of things in the darkness. One of them being that something will eat him - tigers or panthers - if he goes to sleep and isn't alarmed in time to get away from them.

Little Lek Longtail has an exceptionally long and beautifully colored tail and this proves to be a source of not only pride but provides him with a coping skill as well. Bette Killion allows Little Lek to have a longer and more colorful tail than the real Thai Argus pheasant, but the real bird does have a rather spectacular tail and he does perch in trees as Little Lek does. Ms. Killion has aptly provided a bedtime story that will surely help children of the world learn to cope with their fear of the dark while learning about an unusual bird that lives amongst the dense foliage of the Thai rainforest.

The Thai Argus pheasant is a bird native to Thailand which is tropical. The illustrations are lush greens as one would expect the foliage to be in a tropical land. And Little Lek's feathers are bright and colorful. Beatriz Vidal allows the lush illustrations to flow uninterrupted by words and white space allowing the text its own space keeping the illustrations intact.

At the back of the book the author provides facts about the Argus pheasant that are very interesting and will provide a nice teaching opportunity.

"...everyone loved him."

About the book: “I can't sleep, mommy, I'm scared.” Human moms and dads have heard it many times before, and so too, it turns out, has Little Lek's mother. Her little Thai Argus pheasant was so gentle, kind, and handsome with his exceptionally long and brightly colored tail. But he had just one problem: he couldn't get to sleep. Then one day something changed, and Little Lek discovered a strength that lay hidden within, something that gave him the peace of mind to sleep soundly through the night. Find out the secret of how Little Lek learned to trust in himself! Readers will delight in Beatriz Vidal's vivid and expressive art. An appendix of fascinating facts about the Thai Argus pheasant makes this book an educational experience as well.

GIVEAWAY

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ENDS March 16 @ 12:01 a.m. EST

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DISCLOSURE: I was provided a complimentary copy to facilitate this review. Opinions are mine alone. I was not compensated. Giveaway copy is provided by Wisdom Tales and shipped directly to the winner by publisher.