Note: I accessed a digital review copy of this book through Edelweiss. ( )

I received an ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own.

I thought Dormouse and His Seven Beds was an interesting story about loneliness, and what someone might do to avoid it. Dormouse is afraid to sleep alone, so he chooses a different friends' house to sleep in each night, but they are shocked and a little annoyed by his sudden appearance.

Eventually, they tell Dormouse he can no longer show up in their homes and that he needs to remain in his own bed at night. Dormouse starts to explain, but the others refuse to listen or even let him speak at all. They treated him harshly because they saw his actions as an inconvenience, and instead of asking him what was wrong or how they could help, they turn him away.

This causes Dormouse to make poor choices and his friends have to come to his rescue. They only do this once they realize he wasn't in anyone's home the next morning, and then discover that he wasn't in his either. In the end, everyone is happy and understanding, but I wish there had been more of a lesson within the story. I believe it was supposed to address loneliness, but I was focused on how selfish his friends were being. They cared more about the inconvenience than they did about their friend.

Originally posted at Do You Dog-ear? on June 24, 2018.
https://www.doyoudog-ear.com/2018/06/mini-reviews-8.html ( )

The animals of Green Forest find their serene, somewhat sedate lives disrupted by the nighttime antics of Dormouse, whom they find slumbering away in various makeshift beds in their respective homes, come the morning. Dormouse declares that he is trying out new beds, an explanation the animals find insufficient. When they tell him he must desist from creeping into their homes at night, he sets out for the nearby Gray Forest, to sleep in the home of a very dangerous wolf. Discovering that he has been acting this way because of his fear of sleeping alone, the animals of Green Forest are contrite, embarking out on a rescue mission to bring Dormouse home, and informing him once there of the solution they have come up with. From now on he will have seven beds, in seven homes, for the seven nights of the week...

Originally published in Spain as Las siete camas de Lirón, this charming bedtime tale is the fifth book I have read from Madrid-based publisher NubeOcho, who have begun to release English-language editions of some of their titles here in the states. Of those I have seen, it is possibly my favorite. The story here is quirky and engaging, with a conclusion that will charm young children, while the artwork is simply gorgeous. Although not the first book I have seen from author Susanna Isern, Dormouse and his Seven Beds is my first encounter with illustrator Marco Somà's work, which made quite an impression upon me. The lovely color palette used, the beautiful tree-homes of the various animals, the droll expressiveness on the faces of the various characters, when they discover Dormouse in the morning - all these combine to create a wonderfully rich, and satisfying visual experience. Recommended to anyone looking for somewhat offbeat bedtime stories, as well as to those interested in European picture-books in translation. For my part, I will definitely be looking for more of both Isern and Somà's work. ( )