Twenty Yawns
by Jane Smiley; Illustrated by Lauren Castillo
Two Lions (April 1, 2016)
Audience: Prek - 2nd grade
Fiction * Bedtime
Amazon | WorldCat

Description from GoodReads:
Featuring lyrical text and beautiful illustrations, this bedtime tale from Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley and Caldecott Honor recipient Lauren Castillo evokes the splashy fun of the beach and the quietude of a moonlit night, with twenty yawns sprinkled in for children to discover and count.

As her mom reads a bedtime story, Lucy drifts off. But later, she awakens in a dark, still room, and everything looks mysterious. How will she ever get back to sleep?

If you live in Southern California, Jane and Lauren will be at the LA Times Festival of Books the weekend of April 9 - 10, 2-16.

Thank you Jane Smiley and Lauren Castillo for stopping by and answering a few questions.

For Jane Smiley:
KLF: In a Washington Post interview, you mentioned that the picture book format (though much shorter than you usually write) was freeing. How is the process of writing a picture book similar or different from writing a novel?

Jane Smiley: The drafts don’t take as long, so you can change things around more readily. Also, the pictures that the artist comes up with are good input, very informative.

KLF: Was the idea for Twenty Yawns based on personal experiences or just something that you wondered about and began to write the story?

JS: I do have kids, and they were idiosyncratic sleepers. I think a lot about sleep, and I had heard that yawns are contagious. I thought it would be funny and fun.

KLF: Where do you most like to write? Do you have any particular routines that you follow?

JS: Nothing after dinner—I will think about it too much when I am trying to sleep. Also, writing five or six days a week, and reading what I write each day aloud to my husband, who makes helpful comments.

For Lauren Castillo:
Kid Lit Frenzy: In the book, readers can almost go on a "scavenger hunt" to find the 20 yawns. Was this something that you decided to add to the artwork for the book or was this something that you and Jane had discussed?

Lauren Castillo: The yawns were included in the original manuscript from Jane, but I discussed ways to incorporate them into the art with our fantastic designer, Sara Gillingham. I think her type and color selections for the yawns were perfect and really add that extra special something to the book.

KLF: When I think of creating the illustrations for a book, I imagine illustrators being very intentional about the images and how things are portrayed. Were there any surprises as you were working on the illustrations?

LC: I don’t think there were any surprises, but I know that I was trying hard to convey a potpourri of fear, determination, humor, magic and warmth into little Lucy’s nighttime adventure.

KLF: What was your favorite spread in the book and why?

LC: The spread where Lucy and her parents are walking along the shore is my favorite, I think. I enjoyed painting all the warm, sun drenched beachscapes, but especially loved illustrating the time lapse path of activities in this one.

KLF: Will you be doing any other events together?

LC: Jane and I will be presenting together at the LA Times Festival of Books on April 9th, and at Bank Street Bookstore in NYC on April 12th.

KLF: Do you have any upcoming projects that you can share with readers?

LC: Sure! I illustrated a picture book called IT IS NOT TIME FOR SLEEPING coming out this fall (Clarion/HMH), written by the wonderful Lisa Graff. And I am currently working on the art for a picture book biography on E.B. White, written by Barbara Herkert, coming out fall 2017 (Holt/Macmillan). SO VERY EXCITED about both of these books. I hope you will keep an eye out for them.

Watch the official book trailer here:

The Twenty Yawn Challenge:
n this book, Twenty Yawns, there are supposedly twenty yawns to discover on the pages of the book. I have now read this book multiple times. Sadly I must be missing something because I have found only 18 of the 20. If you have read the book, how did you do? If you get the book after the release date on 4/1 - report back and let me know how you did.

Quick thoughts on this book:
Jane Smiley's debut picture book, Twenty Yawns, is an adorable story about a young girl's trip to the beach and then her night time adventure after her parents have gone to bed. Lauren Castillo's illustrations are gorgeous. Below are a few spreads from the book.

Do you see the 7 yawns below?

Young children will relate to Lucy and her fun in the sun and then later in her exploration of the house after dark. I will caution that if you have a child who wonders from bed, this book may just give him or her new ideas.

Look for this book at your public library or local bookstore or online at Amazon (see links above).

Check out the activity kit here.

About the author:
Jane Smiley is the author of numerous novels, including A Thousand Acres, which was awarded the Pulitzer Prize, as well as five works of nonfiction and a series of books for young adults. In 2001 she was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and in 2006 she received the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award for Literature. This is her first picture book. She lives in Northern California. Find her at facebook.com/janesmileyauthor

About the illustrator:
Lauren Castillo is the illustrator of many books, including The Reader by Amy Hest. She has also written and illustrated several books, including Caldecott Honor book Nana in the City and The Troublemaker. She lives in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. To learn more, visit www.laurencastillo.com.
Twitter: @studiocastillo.

Follow the tour:

Thurs, Mar 17 Watch.Connect.Read
Fri, Mar 18      Sharpread
Mon, Mar 21 Children's Book Review
Tues, Mar 22      Kid Lit Frenzy
Wed, Mar 23 Cracking the Cover
Thurs, Mar 24    Unleashing Readers
Fri, Mar 25      5 Minutes for Books
Sat, Mar 26    Booking Mama
Mon, Mar 28 A Rup Life
Tues, Mar 29      Children's Book Review
Wed, Mar 30 Once Upon a Story
Thurs, Mar 31     NC Teacher Stuff
Fri, April 1      A Foodie Bibliophile in Wanderlust
Mon, Apr 4     Where Imagination Grows
Wed, Apr 6     Teach Mentor Texts
Tues, Apr 12 Jean Little Library