Time to Rest by Jack Carty, illustrated by Natasha Carty

Title: Time to Rest

Author: Jack Carty, illustrated by Natasha Carty

Genre: Poetry

Publisher: Scholastic Australia

Published: 1^st February 2024

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 32

Price: $18.99

Synopsis: The sun is sinking low, my darling, the birds are in their nests. And you have spent the day exploring, so now it’s time to rest. A beautiful and timeless Australian lullaby story.

~*~

Lullabies are a tool used to get children to sleep, and there are many to choose from, such as the classics that everyone knows in some way. Yet, there is something lovely about a lullaby that speaks about the Australian landscape, its make up, and the way the animals interact with the earth, the sky, and the water during their sleep routines. In Jack and Natasha Carty’s debut picture book, they’re created an Australian lullaby for Australian children that reflects the wildlife they know about, and that they can see in their world in many ways.

As the child’s day winds down, the mother in this book tells them a story of the Australian bush going to sleep as well, just like them. The busy, chaotic day has slipped away, and the silence has crept over the world. The written text has a QR code that will allow you to listen to the recorded version of the song as well, so your child can go to sleep in whichever way works for them – read by a parent or carer, or with Jack singing the song to them

Jack’s lyrical words are accompanied by Natasha’s lively, colourful and calming illustrations that show the Australian bush going to sleep in the story, encouraging the child to follow suit – the world is going to sleep, and things are safe, so you can go to sleep safely too. Books like this are also good to help children calm down, and to show them that things aren’t always scary. I found this book to be very calming and sweet, as it showed that going to sleep isn’t always easy, but that there are ways to help people get to sleep – and a lullaby is one way to do so.

The combination of Jack’s words and Natasha’s illustrations are evocative and powerful, and I think readers of all ages will enjoy this and get something out of it, and it will help younger children fall asleep with its calmness and sense of safety. Another great picture book.