The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep

By Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin (Crown Books)

Guest reviewed by Tracy Lourens

The Rabbit who Wants to Fall Asleep is the bestselling hit from a psychologist who claims that reading this book to your kids will guarantee sleepy nights, every night. You do need to employ a little acting, as there are a few instructions to follow – for example you need to yawn or raise your voice, read slowly and softly and so on. The book has been a phenomenon, with the author claiming that it can make anyone fall asleep.

Personally, I found the book a little creepy. It is clear, once you are about a page in, that it’s employing hypnosis techniques, as emphasis is placed on certain words such as sleep, in order for associations to be made by the child. Your child’s name is inserted in some sentences, all with the idea of convincing them that sleep is good and they should sleep. I read this to my three-year-old, for about a week. He did tend to get sleepy and yawn at the appropriate times, but he didn’t fall asleep by the end of the book – not once. Of course, each child is different; I would recommend that parents give it a try as it may very well work for them. And as for the creepy element, the kids don’t pick up on that at all.