CCBC booklist are compiled from books we have recommended in various editions of CCBC Choices. Most of these booklists are updated annually. You can also select books from one or more booklists to create a custom list, which can also include additional books from the CCBC-Recommended Book Search.
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The Sleeper Train
CCBC Review:
For the narrator of this soothing and unusual bedtime story, the excitement of a ride on a sleeper train chases sleep away. She and her parents, who appear to be Punjabi and Sikh, board as the sun is setting and soon commence their bedtime routine. Unable to settle, the girl takes up a post at the window. “I thought it might help if I tried to think of all the different places I have slept.” At home, if she has a bad dream, she crawls stealthily into her parents’ bed. She remembers the view of the sea from her hotel room on vacation last summer, and the warm comfort of dozing on the beach. She recalls various other nights, too—in a tent on a camping trip, in the hospital after an operation, in her mom’s old room at her grandparents’ house—and as the train snakes through towns and villages, she grows sleepy imagining all the people snug in their beds nearby. Before she knows it, it’s morning, and breakfast time, and they’re in a new South Asian city. In a full-circle moment, the sleeper train itself becomes a new sleep aid: “Now if I ever can’t get to sleep… I remember how it felt to be rocked by the train, just like a baby…” Featuring an appealing palette heavy in oranges and teals, the digitally colored pencil illustrations are packed with patterns and details but never feel too busy. ©2026 Cooperative Children’s Book Center
Illustrated by Baljinder Kaur
CCBC Age Recommendation: 4-8
Age Range:
PreK-Early Elementary (Ages 4-7)
Grades 3-5 (Ages 8-10)
Format:
Picture book
Subjects:
Bedtime
Families
Indians and Indian Americans
Vehicles and Transportation
Diversity subject:
Asian
On CCBC Booklist:
Global Reading: Selected Books for Children and Teens Set in Other Countries
Publisher:
Candlewick
Publish Year: 2025
Pages: 32
ISBN: 9781536238983
CCBC Location: Picture Book, Jackson
Can’t find what you’re looking for? Our Recommended Book Search includes access to CCBC-recommended titles based on subject headings created by our staff.
Please send questions or comments about CCBC booklists to ccbcinfo@education.wisc.edu.