Readers who love the Stella series will be glad to see that her brother Sam has his own second story. With covers tangled at the foot of his bed, Sam can’t sleep because Fred is missing. Stella is reluctant to leave the warm comfort of her bed and suggests that maybe Fred is hidden under the bed or outside, or even in the closet. Sam is ready for these possibilities, telling her that his puppy sneezes under the bed, is afraid of the dark, and won’t go into the closet with the monsters. Stella changes her tactic and offers techniques for getting to sleep, but finally realizes that sleep won’t be a possibility for either of them until Fred is found. Together they creep through the house, not noticing that Fred is actually everywhere that they look, just hidden. Perfecting the interaction of siblings as they try to go to sleep, Gay offers a rich text to accompany her swirling watercolor illustrations. Charming. (Picture book. 2-3)
