The Sleeper Train

WINNER OF THE V&A ILLUSTRATION AWARD 2026
SHORTLISTED FOR THE CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR ILLUSTRATION

There is a train which has beds in their own small cabins so that you can sleep while the train rolls through the night. I went on one, not long ago…

Just as it’s starting to get dark, a little girl and her family board the sleeper train – they’ll travel all through the night, and reach their destination in the morning. But as the train rocks from side to side, the little girl can’t sleep. It’s all too exciting!

So, instead, she travels through her memory to all the different places she has slept – from her room at home, to a tent in the wild, to Mum’s old room at Grandma and Grandad’s house... But will that help her to drift off?

Gloriously illustrated in rich colours throughout, and written by a Booker shortlisted author, this captivating bedtime story will take readers on a journey through the vast Indian countryside, and carry them straight on to dreamland.

"A lilting cultural touchstone great for bedtime.” Booklist

"A warm-hearted tale of family love and togetherness .... a soothing bedtime story." Red Reading Hub

“This visually vibrant yet gentle bedtime book promises, like the sleeper train, to calm and soothe readers.” The Horn Book (starred review)

“Comforting, vibrant, soothing.” Kirkus Reviews

“Layers feelings of comfort and warmth across time and space.” Publishers Weekly