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?
“Lovely…. Reassures us that
God is closer than we think and more attentive than we
imagine—a welcome word no matter how many birthdays
we’ve celebrated.”
—John S.
Mogabgab, editor, Weavings
Joan Sauro, csj,
is an award-winning author and illustrator of numerous articles
and six books, including The Whole
Earth Meditation and The Diary of a Jogging Nun. She has won two fellowships for fiction from the New
York Foundation of the Arts and a Best Story of the Year award
from the Catholic Press. A teacher of literature and workshop
leader for adults and for children, she is a member of the
religious order of the Sisters of St. Joseph.
