The god of sleep

Resplendent in a crown of rays, the sun god--and the whole divine workforce--is ready to wind down in this not-so-soporific work from Grossman (the Magicians trilogy), making his picture book debut, and Liên (My First Day). But the god of sleep is a no-show, and "there won't be any snoozing" until she appears. Rhyming text and digitally finished watercolor illustrations take readers on the sun god's hunt for the eponymous deity, encountering an expansive pantheon that includes a jester-like god of jokes, a mystery god in Sherlock Holmes gear, and a noodling math god. The sun god has "just about resigned herself/ To staying-up-all-nighting" when the god of sleep finally drifts in--blue-haired, nightgowned, "guarded by butterflies," and apologizing for being waylaid by numerous human crises. As the tardy deity tucks in, the gods blissfully enter slumber, too. Even bedtime-averse readers should get a giggle from seeing powerful immortals desperate for tuck-in time. Characters are portrayed with various skin tones, some fanciful. Ages 6--8. Author's agent: Janine Kamouh, WME. Illustrator's agent: Kate Webber, Good Illustration Limited. (Mar.)

The god of the sun may be done for the day, but bedtime isn't possible until the god of sleep can be found. "It's just about time / To retire for the night" for deities everywhere, but "where in the world is the god of sleep?" Without her soporific influence, the god of the seas keeps swimming, "the god of fate is choosing. / The god of games is losing. / But till the god of sleep shows up, / There won't be any snoozing." Wandering through water, ice, space, and time, the sun god still "doesn't do much finding." After exploring every scenario, the sun god's just about resigned to "staying-up-all-nighting." But wait! The god of sleep finally appears to complete her slumberous nighttime ritual before ensuring that all the gods "are fast asleep and dreaming." Bestselling author Grossman's picture-book debut is a riotously entertaining collaboration with Vietnamese artist Huỳnh. Grossman writes in clever rhyming bursts--combiningsatyrs,equators, anddusty craters--about all manner of unique gods, including "that mystifying yawn god," not to be confused with "the mystery god [who] solves cases." Huỳnh affectingly melds elements from Antoine de Saint Exupéry's work, manga, and anime while also incorporating Disney-fied Tinkerbells and even detailed realism--all in full Technicolor. The final spread captures the cast in all their deific diversity. A witty bedtime tale--and proof that even gods need a bit of divine intervention to get a good night's sleep.(Picture book. 4-8) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.