This story is about an ordinary day for a squirrel and its mushroom friend as they go about their daily routine. But when it’s time to listen to the song of their favorite bird, they find it is not in its usual spot.
The book features bright illustrations that beautifully convey the characters' emotions. The story contains only a small amount of text but does an excellent job of addressing the themes of death and burial rituals.

The illustrations are just so simple, cute, and sometimes funny to me, which made reading super easy.

It's a good book for kids to show them the topic of death.

The characters were nice; I didn't even realize there was a mushroom on the cover until I read the annotation!

There's a little bit of text, which helps the kid learn how to read too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gecko Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Not every day you get a mushroom for a main character 😂 I don’t think kiddos are reading Goodreads reviews butttt spoilers ahead. I loved their excitement to find the blackbird, instead they find the blackbird belly up. This will surely raise a lot of questions but I think a very subtle and kind way to discuss death with children. The natural world is full of death and I’d venture to guess most kids who spend time outdoors will encounter a dead animal. I loved how the characters respected the fallen blackbird and remembered him. The ending felt a little abrupt if I’m being totally honest. I loved the illustrations!

Thanks to NetGalley, Lerner Publishing Group and Gecko Press for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

A good book to talk about death and dying with children. If kids are not ready for that topic yet, this book will be too deep for them. For myself, my toddler has recently been confusing going to happen for being sick with the sniffles and actually dying. So this was a good conversation piece to really talk about the difference. It’s not a sweet bedtime story but more of a really good conversation starter for a pretty serious topic.

I received an ARC of this children's book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a great book. It's very cute and the pictures are very well done!

This is a really cute and funny story of forest animals trying to figure out if a blackbird is sleeping or dead.

Trigger warning for dead animals.

Thank you to NetGalley and Gecko Press for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

Is It Asleep is a gentle story about death and grieving. I really enjoyed the story and I think it is a perfect way to introduce children to the concept of death. Though short, the characters experience confusion and anger which are all real emotions that people go through when grieving. I think it also was a beautiful touch on how the characters went about their grieving process and how to honor their friend. This is a translated book and it shows in the sentences. I think for this to be a better book more well suited for children, some of the word choice should be changed and simplified.

“ We've heard that when someone dies, people get together to remember and talk about them.” lol, this was a cute little book, innocent, beautifully illustrated and easy to read. I loved how it was written as if someone was speaking their thoughts aloud. I felt like there was a plot whole in there or maybe I didn’t get why it ended the way it did . But I loved i enjoyed how the critters navigated thru the death of the blackbird coming up with their own ideas on what could’ve happened, it reminded me of the innocence conversations kids have have in regards to this topic. Cute, simply, cozy read.

This is a charming and gentle story about a squirrel and his mushroom friend, Pock, who stumble upon a blackbird they've often heard singing. To their surprise, the bird is lying still on the ground. Wondering whether it's simply asleep or something more, their curiosity leads them to discover that the bird has passed away. In a tender moment, they follow the guidance they've been given about how to treat something that has died.

While the story may feel a bit sad for young readers, it offers a thoughtful way to introduce children to the concept of death and funerals. The illustrations are endearing and beautifully crafted. It's clear that the book has been translated, though, as certain phrases carry the feel of another language, which gives it a unique, slightly unfamiliar charm.

Oh my, I’m totally in love with this author! Most of his books are filled with humor and adorable illustrations, and even though this one explores deep questions about death and the cycle of life, it still manages to feel gentle, heartwarming, and even cute.

Kids will eventually face the concept of loss, and this book offers a tender way to approach it—how we remember those we love after they’re gone, or maybe, in a way, they live on as long as we hold them in our hearts.

And I absolutely love this line: “Anything that sings so well and has such beautiful feathers can’t die.”

I find this book sad. However, it touches on death in a gentle way for young readers. Also, showing how we may react as humans when someone or something we love dies as well. For children who emotionally mature or even have questions about death this could be a good beginner book for them.

This was a really sweet and moving approach to death in a children's book, especially of a beloved animal friend. The illustrations are warm and inviting and the gentleness with which the death of the blackbird is treated is thoughtful and appropriate for even very young children. Recommended.

The illustrations are rather nice but the story left a lot to be desired. I appreciate what the author is trying to do - but I think this misses the mark. I imagine this book creating more questions than answers to a child learning about death. I'm honestly having a difficult time thinking about an instance where I would recommend this book.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the arc. All opinions are my own.

The creatures in this book find there friend the song bird who they think is sleeping. But with further examination they determine he has died. They have to figure out what to do with the bird now.
A sweet look at dealing with and talking about death.
Muted colors in the illustrations help too.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC

When I saw that "Is It Asleep" was a child's book about sort of unexpectedly dealing with a death...I was not expecting the approach that this book took. I don't think it was necessarily bad, I just don't think it translates very well for a child to understand what death me and what are some ways to respond to that. I also found the block text of this story to feel a bit separated from the actual illustrations. I think if you are aware of an upcoming death and has a child who sees things in very black and white, that this may be helpful to explain some sort of next steps - otherwise I don't think it's a must have.

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

Author Oliver Tallec has penned a sweet, touching picture book about three forest friends dealing with death. Adults will love this book as much as their children.

In the interest of complete disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley, Lerner Publishing Group and Gecko Press™ in exchange for an honest review

"Is it asleep" is a beautifully illustrated tale that touches very gently on the topic of death. Without context, this could be little morbid, sure, but death is something that touches as all at some point. This is an easy way to introduce it to small minds without being overwhelming or upsetting.

I don't think I would recommend this as a must add to the bookshelf kind of thing, but if your littles have lost someone or have someone in their lives who they may loose, I think the book could be used as a tool to prepare them or ease the pain.

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review.

I lost my childhood dog recently and it's been an incredibly difficult thing to process. Although we understand death as a concept, it doesn't feel real until you experience the loss of someone who meant so much to you. I think this book did an excellent job of portraying that initial state of confusion or denial, and the sense that time stretches beyond what feels natural. Overall, it holds a very calm and friendly introduction to the experience of grief.

Netgalley ARC - 4.5 stars. This is a gentle and exploratory picture book that introduces concepts of grief and death without being too overwhelming and while still finding hope.

Squirrel and best friend, Pock go searching for blackbird and have to confront a sensitive topic after realizing blackbird isn’t sleeping. The anthropomorphized animals and mushroom create a lighter and friendly atmosphere for delivering a potentially heavy topic. The story lightly touches on grief and what actions are appropriate for their situation. Ultimately, we are then left with the idea that we can memorialize the deceased and that the world keeps spinning. This book could be thought provoking for a child already familiar with grief and death, but might be too blunt as an introduction to the topic.

As an adult, I can’t resist digging deeper into the imagery. This text was translated from French and the story felt very French. The illustrations of the characters being bug-eyed may go unnoticed to a child, but made me feel like they were in a constant state of existential dread. The setting being fall and leaves changing colors/dying because the trees are going dormant/sleeping, feels reflective of the story’s themes of sleep and death. Overall, I enjoyed this and appreciate there being so many layers present in this children’s story.

Review will be posted to GoodReads on 08/05/2025.