Princess Stay Awake

Princess Stay Awake by Giles Paley-Phillips, illustrated by Adriana J. Puglisi
 
Princess Layla has no intention of going to sleep. Every evening she skips around her bedroom, plays with her toys and insists that closing her eyes would mean missing far too much fun. The weary King and Queen try everything they can think of, but their wide-awake daughter turns every sensible bedtime idea into another opportunity to play.
 
Lullabies and stories make no difference. A wizard's sleeping spell sends the wizard to sleep instead, the jester's routine makes Layla laugh, exercise fails to tire her and a wonderfully soft new bed becomes the perfect trampoline. Just when the whole palace seems to have run out of answers, Grandma arrives with an idea that sounds completely back to front.
 
Giles Paley-Phillips tells this familiar family struggle in buoyant rhyme, while Adriana J. Puglisi's bright, expressive illustrations celebrate Layla's imagination and unstoppable energy. Repeated attempts, comic reversals and an inviting refrain make it particularly enjoyable to perform aloud.
 
Warm, mischievous and reassuring, Princess Stay Awake is a playful bedtime story for families who recognise the child who is tired but determined not to miss a thing—and the grown-ups trying every trick in the book.