About the Holiday

The Better Sleep Council—the sponsor of today’s holiday—was established in 1978 to educate people about the important relationship between sleep, good health, and quality of life. The goal of Better Sleep Month is to promote the benefits of good and healthy sleep, draw attention to the effects of sleep problems, and help people prevent and manage sleep disorders. Helping young children develop beneficial bedtime routines can improve their daytime functioning and positively impact their growth, health, and happiness. Get ready to celebrate the moon—and sweet dreams—all summer long and beyond with today’s luminous book!

June Moon

Written by Lynn Becker | Illustrated by Nate Carvalho

As a playful moon rises into the sunset-painted sky, a young child imagines being transported to the seaside where he builds a sandcastle under the “Beach Moon / Bucket Moon / Twirling on a dune moon.” He becomes a shovel-brandishing pirate plying the ocean as a whale breaches, backlit by the glowing moon.

Illustration copyright © 2024 by Nate Caravalho. Text copyright © 2024 by Lynn Becker. Courtesy of Familius.

But “bath and bedtime” await, and the sea spray becomes a bubble bath that leads to a frothy “peppermint typhoon moon.” At last the child is growing tired and with a twinkling tune and precious teddy bear, he drifts off to the “Kiss-me moon, / Cuddle moon, / Weave a dream cocoon moon.” Then with one more sleepy look, the child says goodnight to that “Magic as a June moon.”

In her dreamy board book, Lynn Becker combines the giddy fun of bedtime with the sweet comfort of daily routines and cuddling goodnights. Her jaunty verses tumble joyfully from scene to scene carried on her delightful use of rhyme and consonance. Little ones will enjoy calling out the word “moon” at the end of the lines and are sure to ask for this endearing book often.

Nate Carvalho’s adorable kawaii-style moon will enchant little ones as it rises and sets over the child’s bedtime preparations, sparking imaginative play on the way to dreamland. Carvalho incorporates clever imagery that blends reality and fantasy, as when the view out the child’s window of peaked tile roofs segues on the next page to sand dunes. Children will also like pointing out the pillow in the pirate’s boat and how the moon’s “peppermint typhoon” mirrors the child’s pajamas. As the moon settles over the rooftops once more, young sleepyheads will likewise be ready to settle into their comfy beds.

Lovely and soothing, June Moon will become a quick favorite for bedtime reading. The book makes a perfect gift for babies, toddlers, and preschoolers as well as for baby showers; grandparents or other caregivers; and any library, daycare, or preschool collection.

Ages Baby and up

Familius, 2024 | ISBN 978-1641709996

Lynn Becker grew up in New York, spent many years in the Southern California desert, and now lives in Colorado. She’s a children’s book reviewer and the author of Monsters in the Briny, illustrated by Scott Brundage and Ghost Town in the Mountains, illustrated by Roland Garrigue. Visit her at lynnbeckerbooks.com.

Better Sleep Month Activity

Sleepytime Puzzle

All of these sleepy animals want to go to bed! In these puzzle pages, kids can settle each animal into the empty spots so they can get a good night’s sleep with their friends. Then color them!

Sleepytime Puzzle – Easy | Sleepytime Puzzle – Medium | Sleepytime Puzzle – Hard

Moon Coloring Page | Sun Coloring Page | Earth Coloring Page