You're Safe With Me

by Chitra Soundar, Poonam Mistry (Illustrator)

Overview

A gentle bedtime tale to lull little ones to sleep, with artwork that twinkles like the night sky.

When the moon rises high and the stars twinkle, it is bedtime for the baby animals of the Indian forest. But tonight, when the skies turn dark and the night grows stormy, the little ones can't sleep. SWISH-SWISH! CRACK-TRACK! FLASH-SNAP! goes the storm. Only Mama Elephant with her words of wisdom can reassure them, "You're safe with me."

WINNER of the 3-Star Teach Early Years Award 2019. Kate Greenaway Medal 2019 shortlist. A Guardian Children’s Book of the Month. A Junior Library Guild Selection.

“A perfect bedtime picture book. A sleep-time staple for toddlers”—The Guardian

“This beautiful bedtime book is a feast for the eyes and a warm, cozy blanket for the imagination. I felt as though I had been sung a lullaby, while being given a huge hug”—Tales on Moon Lane

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781913747008
Publisher:	Lantana Publishing
Publication date:	06/01/2020
Series:	Lantana Global Picture Books Series
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	15 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	7 - 8 Years

About the Author

Chitra Soundar is an Indian-born British author and storyteller. She has published more than 30 books and is inspired by the rich heritage of epics and folktales from India as well as India's natural beauty.
Poonam Mistry is a UK-based freelance illustrator with a degree in graphic design and illustration. Her work is heavily influenced by nature, folklore, and traditional Indian art. Poonam was short-listed for the Kate Greenaway Medal in 2019.

Editorial Reviews

"It's late at night and the baby forest animals are about to go to sleep when the sounds of an approaching storm preclude their slumber. Mama Elephant gathers them in her trunk with the gentle refrain, 'you're safe with me.' While the babies whimper, Mama Elephant assures them that their fears are unfounded, reframing the scary noises as the necessary work of nature. The wailing wind, she calms them, 'is gentle as a breeze when all the work is done'; the thunder only loud because she's laden with rain that brings life; the rumbling river is only grumbling because she's hungry and will soon eat all the shadows in the forest. And thus, Mama Elephant quells the baby animals’ fears. Bedtime fears are ancient concerns, and Mama Elephant's voice is timeless. Simultaneously culturally specific and universal, Soundar's eloquent narrative flows seamlessly through Mistry's breathtaking illustrations. Stylized, hand-drawn, and exquisitely detailed, these renditions of forest life fill every page with wonder, perfectly complementing the understated, lyrical whispers of Mama Elephant. Listeners will either be fast asleep by the end of the story, or wide awake, captivated by the art. A stunning, reassuring bedtime story."—starred, Booklist

From the Publisher

2018-02-19
It's a dark and stormy night, with wind and thunder and lightning—even the river is rising up—and all the baby animals are scared.Mama Elephant, big and comforting and knowledgeable, tells the little ones about each source of their fear and assures them several times that "You're safe with me." When the baby animals whimper because of the wind, she patiently explains: "He's an old friend of the forest. He brings us seeds from faraway lands." When the loris asks about the thunder's noise, Mama Elephant takes the animals' fears away by telling them that Thunder is "groaning from the weight of the rain." In a little while "she will turn as fluffy as cotton flowers." She explains: "Lightning sparkles in the sky when clouds collide." The explanations are not meant to be scientific but rather poetic and comforting in a lullaby mode. The repetitive structure and lovely language are soothing, but it is the images that are outstanding. Although all the animals featured are found in India, the text is not based on a specific traditional tale, but the intricate, deeply colored digital images, formed with many dots and geometric shapes, evoke kalamkari textile techniques.With its short, rhythmic text and its rich, embellished, shiny pages with animals, flowers, and trees just waiting to be discovered, this is a reassuring yet inventive bedtime book. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews