Summertime Sleepers

A 2022 Robert F. Sibert Honor Book

Everyone knows about animals that hibernate in the winter. But it’s time to discover animals that sleep all summer long!

All science classrooms discuss animals that hibernate during winter months, but few know about animals that estivate–a prolonged sleep during hot or dry periods. Dual layers of text awaken readers to the reasons estivating animals become dormant–whether it’s because warm weather threatens food supply or to avoid increased body temperatures. From the ladybug to the salamander, from the lungfish to the desert hedgehog, twelve estivating animals and their habits–both when sleeping and awake–are explained through clear text and elegant watercolor illustrations that create a scrapbook feel.