I Forgot How to Sleep
by Bruno Zocca

In this love song to bedtime books, that is also laugh-out-loud funny, the solution to falling asleep is right under our heroine’s nose!

When the young narrator of the book can’t fall asleep, she thinks she may have skipped one of her bedtime rituals (brush teeth, put on pajamas, say goodnight to dad), so she performs them all over again. But that doesn't work. After checking to see if anyone else is up, she ventures outside, where she meets a very sleepy bear who shares her problem. She reads him a bedtime story and bear starts snoring in a heartbeat. It's then that she remembers what she had forgot to do: read her own bedtime book! Sweet dreams.

“Well worth staying awake for”.
Kirkus Reviews

"Charming and funny and successful in doing what it needs to do as a bedtime book. A hijink-free telling, perfect for bedtimes everywhere."
Librarian Betsy Bird, A Fuse #8 Production

"The art is immersive… Zocca visually captures the blissfully unaware relaxation of a good night’s sleep, the kind of physical surrender that may induce giggles for young listeners poring over the illustrations… This loopy picture book is a lovely little gem while also reinforcing a key strategy for kids who struggle with falling asleep."
The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"Originally published in Italy, this lovable picture book with bright, cartoonish artwork expresses fundamental truths about a beloved and undeniably useful practice: reading stories to children at bedtime."
Booklist

“Both the narrative and the clear-line-style cartooning share a funny, economical directness, and the story’s circular structure—a child addresses their own problem while helping another—makes for a satisfying work that validates young readers’ own problem-solving powers.”
Publishers Weekly

Awards:

★ White Ravens 2025
★ Ibby Italia Choice 2025
★ Premio Anna Osti 2025
★ Shortlisted for Premio Orbil 2026
★ Premio Nati per Leggere 2026 Finalist for Best Book 3-6 Years Category
★ Premio Andersen 2026 Winner for Best Book 3-6 Years Category
★ SuperPremio Andersen “Gualtiero Schiaffino” Best Book of the Year 2026

Rights sold:

Italy, France, The Netherlands, Russia, Germany, World Spanish, Catalan, World English

For foreign rights inquiries, please contact us.

All books by Bruno Zocca: