Most authors hope the books they write keep readers turning pages, but Swedish psychologist Carl-Johan Forssen Ehrlin had a different goal with his children's book: to put his audience to sleep.
Ehrlin's "The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep" made headlines as the first self-published work to top Amazon's book charts, Imogen Russell Williams wrote for The Guardian.
The 26-page story's front page reads, "I can make anyone fall asleep," and Ehrlin said, "It's the verbal equivalent of rocking your child to sleep," according to Fortune.
Fortune reported that Ehrlin suggested parents speak methodically and yawn while reading "The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep." Children will mimic the behavior, he says one reason Ehrlin proclaimed the book as an effective tool for parents.
Jonathan Chew of Fortune wrote of early acclaim from parents reading Ehrlin's work to their children.
Im actually speechless, one parent wrote on Amazon, Chew indicated. Im (sitting) here waiting for someone to pinch me. Bedtime just went from (taking) 2-3 hours to taking 12 mins. We made it to the middle of page 2.
However, the book doesn't exactly live up to its front-page promise to sleep-deprived parents, according to NPR after staffers stopped by Karen Loeschner's home as she tested it on her 2-year-old son.
Initially, Ehrlin's story seemed to put Loeschner's son under its sleepy spell, but he eventually "started asking for his truck book," Lynn Neary of NPR wrote.
So why'd the proclamation prove false in this case?
"No. 1: It's too long. I mean, he's 2, you know? The attention span is not where this book needs him to be," Loeschner told NPR. "And it's real wordy; there's hardly any pictures, so there's nothing for him to look at. He just sees text."
According to NPR, Loeschner did get her son to sleep by reading two truck books.
Ehrlin's "The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep" made headlines as the first self-published work to top Amazon's book charts, Imogen Russell Williams wrote for The Guardian.
The 26-page story's front page reads, "I can make anyone fall asleep," and Ehrlin said, "It's the verbal equivalent of rocking your child to sleep," according to Fortune.
Fortune reported that Ehrlin suggested parents speak methodically and yawn while reading "The Rabbit Who Wants to Fall Asleep." Children will mimic the behavior, he says one reason Ehrlin proclaimed the book as an effective tool for parents.
Jonathan Chew of Fortune wrote of early acclaim from parents reading Ehrlin's work to their children.
Im actually speechless, one parent wrote on Amazon, Chew indicated. Im (sitting) here waiting for someone to pinch me. Bedtime just went from (taking) 2-3 hours to taking 12 mins. We made it to the middle of page 2.
However, the book doesn't exactly live up to its front-page promise to sleep-deprived parents, according to NPR after staffers stopped by Karen Loeschner's home as she tested it on her 2-year-old son.
Initially, Ehrlin's story seemed to put Loeschner's son under its sleepy spell, but he eventually "started asking for his truck book," Lynn Neary of NPR wrote.
So why'd the proclamation prove false in this case?
"No. 1: It's too long. I mean, he's 2, you know? The attention span is not where this book needs him to be," Loeschner told NPR. "And it's real wordy; there's hardly any pictures, so there's nothing for him to look at. He just sees text."
According to NPR, Loeschner did get her son to sleep by reading two truck books.