#144 of 1001 · December 22, 2020

One of the few truly universal experiences must surely be caring for a crying baby at night. In Niki Daly’s Mary Malloy and the Baby Who Wouldn’t Sleep, a young girl finds herself in just such a predicament. Mary Malloy has been kept awake until late into the night by Baby (suggested to be a younger sibling), who simply cannot be calmed. The crescent moon floats down and offers to take over, but promptly kidnaps the infant and floats away. Fortunately, a resourceful crocodile tricks the villainous moon into dropping Baby and returns the infant safely to Mary’s arms. Daly fully commits to his strange premise; the lulling tone of his writing and the gentle brushstrokes of his paintings blunt the distressing nature of the eerie kidnapping plot, just as the muffled atmosphere of a dream can render little nightmares palatable. #baby #sleep #night #moon #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcover #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookillustrations #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks