This Is Not A Sleepy Bear Book by Brian Gehrlein

Looking for a humorous picture book for the kiddos? Brian Gehrlein’s done it again. Coming Nov. 11, 2025, This is Not a Sleepy Bear Book will keep kids entertained, day and night. I love the humorous interactions between the main characters, Owl and Bear. Jennifer Harney’s illustrations paint a playful contract between a chaotic and quiet environment. This humorous picture book is pure fun. Kids will beg you to read it night after night.

The classic “bear hibernation” story is turned on its head in this hilarious read-aloud full of surprises, perfect for a cozy winter read and story time year-round!

This was supposed to be a sleepy bear book—a gentle, quiet story. Until Bear opened his cozy, quiet den, only to find—A DJ and a disco ball? Guitar riffs and a booming bass? A random jazz flute?Stop all these shenanigans! THIS ISN’T WHAT HAPPENS IN A SLEEPY BEAR BOOK!

Plus, things only get noisier and more chaotic with every turn of the page. Winking at storytime conventions in a way that’ll crack kids up, This Is Not a Sleepy Bear Book combines classic bedtime story tropes with visual, giggle-worthy surprises that offer a memorable twist and a great read-aloud.

Sure to be another blockbuster hit!

The Book of Rules – Brian Gehrlein’s First Humorous Picture Book

In addition, don’t forget buy Brian’s first humorous picture book, The Book of Rules. He does his best to follow the rules and has (so far) avoided being eaten.

An interactive, fun-filled picture book with dynamic illustrations, in which readers must follow the rules or risk a run-in with a monster—with a gentle approach to mindfulness along the way.

Beware! This book has rules. You must follow all the rules. If you break the rules . . . Dennis the monster will eat you. And you don’t want to be Dennis-food—do you?

With a laugh-out-loud, interactive style, The Book of Rules invites you to get your sillies out before it’s time to focus and listen to directions—making it the perfect storytime read-aloud for rambunctious kids in the classroom, at the library, or at home. And you better get started, because Dennis can’t wait to eat—or, um—meet you!

GoodReads Review for This Is Not a Sleepy Bear Book by Stacey Gustafson

“Above all, this humorous picture book will charm both kids and parents. Whether you’re Team Bear, the fun-loving, go-with-the flow type, or Team Owl, the-easily-flustered planner who likes things just so, you’ll see yourself in these bedtime battles. The playful contrast between chaos and calm keeps the pages turning. Humor, excellent pacing, and the surprise ending make this a bedtime winner.”

#ThisIsNotASleepyBearBook @BrianGehrlein

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/228646194-this-is-not-a-sleepy-bear-book?from_search=true&from_srp=true&qid=3jOtQBzMyV&rank=1

Brian Gehrlein’s Bio

Brian Gehrlein is a high school English teacher living in Liberty, Missouri with his family. The Book of Rules is his first picture book. Brian does his best to follow the rules and has (so far) avoided being eaten. He hopes this trend continues. Brian invites you to follow the rules by following him on Twitter (@BrianGehrlein), and avoid being eaten by visiting pbspotlight.com.

Other Professional work

Picture Book Spotlight: Gehrlein created and manages this website, which features interviews with authors, agents, and other industry professionals. He also offers picture book critique and mentorship services through the platform. https://www.pbspotlight.com/about
#PBCritiqueFest: He is the creator of #PBCritiqueFest, an online event for picture book writers.