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SLEEP WELL, SIBA AND SABA by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl Kirkus Star

SLEEP WELL, SIBA AND SABA

by Nansubuga Nagadya Isdahl ; illustrated by Sandra van Doorn

Pub Date: Oct. 1st, 2017
ISBN: 978-1-9113-7309-4
Publisher: Lantana

A picture book that will transport readers to another place and time…where dreams come to life.

Siba and Saba, two brown-skinned sisters wearing cornrowed hair, constantly lose things: shoes, scarves, sweaters, and more. They do, however, always keep track of each other. When they sleep, they dream of finding all they’ve lost. But one night, when Papa sings “Sula bulungi, Siba and Saba,” as he always does, they dream not of lost things but of delightful new found things. Soon, the dreams come true in a way that portends a bright future for them both. Ugandan-American first-time author Isdahl weaves Ugandan culture into the tale by incorporating Luganda, the language of Uganda, into Papa’s good-night song, through characters’ names, and through the flora and fauna Siba and Saba encounter. And van Doorn, a French artist based in Australia, brings the whimsical story of these close-knit sisters vibrantly to life with colorful images of Ugandan plants, animals, and places the sisters encounter. Working in pastels and digital art, van Doorn integrates fanciful details and unusual shapes and patterns into the artwork and in so doing, creates a visually sumptuous story.

This imaginative international tale will delight readers of all ages

. (Picture book. 3-7)