Snoozefest

By Samantha Berger; illustrated by Kristyna Litten

Cold, gray days filled with predictions of MORE of the white stuff looming large? I have the perfect picture book antidote for the gloomies that may have descended on your house during this winter that seems never ending.

It’s called “Snoozefest”and it’s a fun fest of adventures sure to warm up both you and your young reader.

Do you have trouble rousing your sleepy one for school? All they really want to do is hibernate on cold winter mornings, pulling the covers over their head with that plaintive and proverbial, “I’m tired, Mom.”“Just one more minute, puh-leeze!”

I’ve been there, done it, and I sympathize with parents pulling unwilling peewees out of bed on minus zero mornings. It’s not easy. Sometimes WE don’t want to get out of bed on a cold morning. So I do and did sympathize.

For those of my readers in warmer climes, I envy you, but trust me, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”here with no let up in sight.

But, what if there was a place where perennial snoozing was a full time occupation for some? And what if, like the wildly popular Comic Con, there was a similar happening where snoozers gathered with lazing, yet fun filled activities for participants to well, wallow in as they winter over.

Welcome to Snoozefest! Meet a sloth named Snuggleford Cuddlebun who lives in…. you guessed it…. Snoozeville. This slow-mo sloth can sleep for a month at a go. Except, that is when Snoozefest is on the calendar.

This is the place where the best sleepers go to snore their way through this nap-tacular show.

Held at the Nuzzledome, Snuggleford accompanies all the wombats, koala bears, brown bats, squirrels and giant armadillos that have their Snoozeticket punched at the entrance.

It’s dreamy to see the stuff everyone brings their wimpiest, coziest, comfiest things. Bundles of blankets and fluffed feather beds Puffy poofed pillows to prop up their heads.

The blankets even have nick names ( just like your kids’blankets, I bet ) such as Knit-Knit, Gee-Gee, Pinky, Minky or Lolly. Armed with milk and honey, journals and bedtime books (natch), attendees stake out their turf and get ready for the show!

Styling pajamas are the order of the day in the P.J. Parade. We’re talking designer jammies here, given to attendees by the likes of Diane Vonfirstinbed, Alexander McDream and Louis Futon to name a few.

Nightlights on and the fest kicks in to high gear with the band called the Camomile Rage. No raucous rock here; just dreamy music designed to lull one into dreamy dream land. Deep Hiber-nation was my favorite band!

Days of soporific sensibilities sated, and it’s pack up time for sloth et al.

Samantha Berger, author of books like “Crankenstein”and “Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry”has snagged the attention of picture book lovers of snoozing everywhere, along with Krystyna Litten’s art, imagining Snoozefest into pastel painted reality.

And now, pardon me while I borrow Snuggleford’s Snoozefest souvenir sleep-mask and catch a few zzz’s. Hey! it’s snowing AGAIN! Perfect timing!