This gentle bedtime story guides children through the steps God might take each night to tuck the world in. Captures experiences common to children of all faiths and backgrounds as they begin to understand the many ways God is there for us.
Written and with photo illustrations by Joan Sauro, CSJ
Paperback
10 x 8½, 32 pp | Full-color photo illus. | 978-1-59473-110-5
A charming nighttime reminder that God is always present in our lives.
This gentle bedtime story guides children through the steps God might take each night to tuck the world into bed. From dimming the lights with the colors of the sunset, to the hushed lullaby of evening’s breeze in the leaves, to God’s gentle nod for the flowers to slip into slumber, it engages children in the wider, waking world by showing the commonality all things share as God’s creation. It then eases nighttime anxiety with soothing reassurance of God’s continued blessing and watchfulness as we sleep.
Not a book to be read and then relegated to the book shelf, this bedtime companion will likely become a child’s nighttime ritual. The simple yet profound text, accompanied by gorgeous, colorful photographs, captures the experiences common to children of all faiths and backgrounds as they begin to understand the many ways God is there for us. Filled with wisdom and love, Does God Ever Sleep? delights the senses and expands the ways we think about God and God’s presence in our lives.
“A playful and engaging journey through the mind of the child—and the childlike—to answer an important God-question. Delights the eyes and the imagination. Every ‘child of God’ will read, re-read and love this book!"
—Sister Rose Raymond Wagner, osf, retreat and spiritual director
“Sometimes, the deepest spiritual truths can be buried not only in what we tell our children about God, but how we tell our children about God. Here, gently, quietly, in a lullaby of love, Joan Sauro speaks to God’s unceasing attention to us—and to all the details of the world.”
—Gary Schmidt, coauthor of In God’s Hands
“With peaceful images and soothing, poetic words, the reader is lulled quietly to sleep, assured that God is but a whisper away. Delightfully told by ‘loved ones,’ this comforting bedtime story is for all children, and for the child within each one of us.”
—Nancy Sohn Swartz, author of In Our Image and How Did the Animals Help God?
“Beautiful ... appealing.... The best part about this book is its simple, rhythmic text.... A great read-along or read-aloud book, especially for bedtime.”
—John S. Mogabgab, editor, Weavings
