William’s Winter Nap
Written by Linda Ashman, Illustrated by Chuck Groenink
Disney-Hyperion, 2017; 978-1484722824
Honors & Reviews
• Bank Street Best Books of the Year (2018 Edition)
• A Junior Library Guild Selection
“Beautifully paced, rhymed, and cadenced . . . [The] mixed-media artwork creates a strong sense of the setting and the appealing characters.”—★ Starred review, Booklist
“Ashman’s meticulously crafted rhymes are a delight to read . . . And [Groenink’s] forest creatures are as adorable as it gets.” —★ Starred review, Publishers Weekly
“Charming and joyful, emphasizing compassion, done in 450 words and 23 pieces of art, William’s Winter Nap is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers learning to share.” —NY Journal of Books
“[A]n endearing, cuddle-up story at bedtime, especially on a stormy night. An added value to the tale is its emphasis on the benefits of bestowing hospitality to those in need and a generosity of spirit towards new friends.”—School Library Journal
Available in hardcover picture book and board book. Foreign editions: Chinese, German, Hebrew, Japanese, Turkish.
Themes: Winter • Hibernation • Character: Inclusion/Welcoming Others • Counting (up to six) • Bedtime/Sleep • Poetry: Rhyme/Repetition
Click below for a few sample pages.
Illustrations copyright 2017 by Chuck Groenink. Disney-Hyperion, October 2017.
About this Story
In December 2013, editor Stephanie Lurie at Disney-Hyperion emailed to say she was “craving a winter hibernation picture book text” and asked if I’d be interested in giving it a try.
Heck, yes. I’d worked with Steph at Simon & Schuster and Dutton, and jumped at the chance to work with her again. Of course, I had to write the story first. And Disney had to acquire it.
So I asked for some clarification. Science-y or whimsical? Classroom or bedtime? Steph said she was looking for “a short, sweet, and playful text for a bedtime story that is perfect for sharing during the colder, darker months.”
I let the idea simmer on the back burner while I wrapped up other projects. I let it simmer some more during the holiday hubbub and a visit from my in-laws. Finally, in mid-January, I sat down with some books about animals in winter and began taking notes. I played around with three very different manuscripts. Then a big (by North Carolina standards) snowstorm arrived and everything shut down, as things tend to do here when it snows—perfect conditions for working on a cozy hibernation book. During the following snow days, as neighborhood kids sledded down the hill in front of our house, the story came together.
Steph acquired the manuscript—as well as a proposal for a spring follow-up book—and hired Chuck Groenink to illustrate both. I love William and the animal characters Chuck has created, each one so expressive and appealing. And I love the charming house and snowy landscape—just the sort of cozy place I’d like to escape to on a cold winter day.
