The Children Who Didn’t Want to Sleep

Original title: Les enfants qui ne voulaient pas dormir

Author: De Biase, Giulia

Illustrator: Giovanni Colaneri

Publication Date:

May 2026

Pages:

44

Age Group:

3-7

Format:

215 x 245

Original language and publisher

French | Les Arènes

Territories Handled

Netherlands, Nordic Countries, North America

Genre

Children's

The Children Who Didn’t Want to Sleep

Original title: Les enfants qui ne voulaient pas dormir

Author: De Biase, Giulia

Illustrator: Giovanni Colaneri

Synopsis

A whimsical yet soothing bedtime story for children who never want to go to bed
One evening, four children make a bold decision: they will never sleep again. Free at last, they play through the night and into the next day, making fantastic discoveries such as dinosaur bones, trapeze techniques, and fairy dust… They are determined to resist bedtime forever. But as yawns begin to spread and eyes grow heavy, they slowly discover that the world of dreams can be just as magical as the world of play.
Inspired by the sleep techniques of Spanish child psychologist Rosa Jové, this picture book brings young readers along an adventure where yawns become contagious.