Sleepy Baby Samurai and the Magic Painting
The Biggest Adventure for the Smallest Samurai
Sleepy Baby Samurai and the Magic Painting is a children’s picture book in English. It’s available in hardcover, paperback, and eBook formats from the bookstores listed below. Subscribe to my monthly e-newsletter to access a FREE audiobook recording to enjoy while reading Sleepy Baby Samurai.
Where to Get the Book
Little Umbrella (Vancouver, BC, Canada – Cafe)
Amazon – International (Hardcover, Paperback, and Kindle eBook)
Athenaeum Boekhandels – The Netherlands (Hardcover)
Barnes & Noble – USA (Hardcover & Paperback)
Bookshop.org – USA, UK, Spain (Hardcover)
Booktopia – Australia (Hardcover & Paperback)
Bookhouse New York – USA (Hardcover & Paperback)
Books.com.tw – Taiwan (Hardcover)
Discover Books – USA (Hardcover)
IndieBound – International (Hardcover)
Snowbound Books Michigan – USA (Hardcover & Paperback)
Waterstones – UK (Hardcover & Paperback)
Public Libraries – USA & Canada (Hardcover) Please email me if you’re a librarian interested in ordering my book!
About the Story
Sleepy Baby Samurai and the Magic Painting is a bedtime story about a sweet baby boy who cannot sleep. On baby’s quest to find his Mommy and favorite blanket, he enters a magical fantasy world painted by her and inspired by Japanese art. It will take true courage, compassion, and imagination for this little Samurai to discover what he is seeking.
For ages 4 – 8
(and anyone who enjoys stories of brave, sleepy heroes and baby dragons)
About the Illustrator
Duha Lee grew up in a family where everyone painted or taught art in Taiwan. Inspired by her family, Japanese comics, and Studio Ghibli films, she studied digital painting and graphic design in college. When she’s not drawing or designing, she’s exploring the world and discovering new things with her children. Duha lives in Iowa with her husband and her two children.
“I feel related to this book. I have an almost-two-year-old son, he loves his blanket and always wants me by his side. Drawing this main character in this book makes me think of him. I am very grateful to have this opportunity to work with Andrew. It is so lucky to work with such a nice and talented author for my first illustrated children’s book! My six-year-old daughter has seen me design the characters, draw the storyboard, the sketches and color them since the beginning. She has been asking what the story is about. I always tell her I will read this book to her once I finish the illustrations. I can’t wait to read this book to my children!”
Subjects & Themes:
Juvenile Fiction:
Martial Arts / Fantasy & Magic / Bedtime & Dreams / Asian American
Themes:
Family, loyalty, courage, perseverance, generosity, empathy, forgiveness, creativity, inspiration, the power of art
Main Characters:
DADDY: Ravi Kumar: Geologist, Father, and all-around nice guy.
MOMMY: Yuko Sakamoto: Painter and Mother, whose ancestor was a Samurai.
YUMA: their son and the hero of this story, pictured here carrying one of his Mother’s paint brushes.
Author’s Note: These characters are fictional: inspired by an amalgamation of family, friends, real people, and characters born from the imagination. I wanted to portray a mixed race family because this reality is sadly lacking in children’s literature. A great deal of research, consultation, and feedback from test readers was involved in the creation of this book. We have done our best to make the characters feel believeable and relatable.
Reviews:
@jessintokyo (Mom/TV Host in Japan) “The illustrations are wonderful and really compliment the story perfectly…”
@realjetsetter (Japanese Mom/Influencer) “I haven’t found such a perfectly relatable heartwarming book in so many years…”
Kidliomag – A Kid’s Magazine “Each page is like a beautiful piece of Japanese art and fully captures the essence of the story…”
Amazon Reviews
“I bought this story book for my three-year-old daughter who enjoys reading. We read it out loud every night since the day book arrived. She even holds it to sleep! The story content is very interesting and funny. My daughter would acts as the Baby Samurai and plays along when we read. The illustration is so beautifully painted. That’s part of the reason I bought this book to show my ten-year-old son who loves painting. It would help inspired his creativity in arts. I highly recommend this children story book because my kids and I really adore it. “Sleepy Baby Samurai and the Magic Painting” brings laughter every time when we open the book.” – Emily L.
“I was hooked from the first page because of the incredibly beautiful imagery. The illustrations are BREATHTAKING. The story is fun and imaginative, and unlike anything I’ve read before. A lot happens in such a short book, and all the twists and turns are fun.” – Alina L
“Sleepy Baby Samurai and the Magic Painting is a sweet book for young children. It has a fun and imaginative story that surprises children and makes them laugh. It is a book that you can read and re-read with your children. My four-year-old daughter truly enjoyed it!” – Amazon User
“I absolutely love the story of the book, brought to life by the beautiful art! So well thought out and amazingly executed. My daughters love it too!” – J. Ochsner
“I got a hardcover version for my daycare. This story has a great sense of humor and made me smile and felt warm. Kids really loved this book. This is perfect for a bedtime story. I highly recommend this book!! It will be a great gift as well.” – Miki
“I bought this for my five year old son who has started martial arts, he found it very entertaining!” – Meaghan M. S.
“Wow! I bought Sleepy Baby Samurai and the Magic Painting for my 7 year old niece and she absolutely adores it! I was worried it might be a bit young for for her but this was not the case, she thought it was perfect. Beautifully written story and Japanese inspired illustrations.” – Jessica G.
“I truly enjoyed this fascinating tale. It has a very interesting plot with a good sense of humor and touching content about family love. I love the main character and his magic journey. The illustration is absolutely adorable. I think this is a perfect bedtime story for children. I can’t wait to read it to my nephew and niece, and I highly recommend this book!” – YoYo Z.
“This is a cute story with engaging illustrations. It’s similar to the classic Harold and the Purple Crayon in that the main character seems to create his own reality as he travels through a dream-like narrative. I liked the emphasis on love between family members and being able to count on one another. It’s also special because of the ethnicities portrayed.” – DJD
“Detailed, beautiful illustrations really make this book come alive. It’s very creative and is an easy and entertaining read. I love that the book shows a biracial family without mentioning it.” – Terrel
“This book is unique and delightful in so many ways. It has so many lessons to teach in heartwarming and funny ways.” – G.M. Harris
“I bought this amazing book for my little baby girl. It seems a bit early for her but it’s always good to read great book to children 🙂 We read this book while guessing what Yuma happens next and my girl was enjoying a lot! She even tried to flip the page to know what happens next! It’s very beautiful story and pictures!” – Maki
“The illustrations are absolutely stunning, and the baby samurai is a cute character whose dream walk through his mother’s art takes unusual twists and turns. Nice bedtime read.” – U.K. Amazon User
“I really love how this beautifully written and illustrated story appeals to our imaginations as well as our hearts. The little hero of this tale notices so much in the magical world he enters. By showing empathy he succeeds in his quest.” – Liz Y.
“This fun children’s book is a fantastical dreamland adventure full of giggles and love. The Japanese-inspired illustrations are beautiful and round off this fun picture book adventure.” – Rachel Greening (Author of If My Oak Tree Could Speak)
“My granddaughter, age 3 1/2, and I enjoyed reading this together. We could both relate.” – Darcy G.
Book Launch Q & A Video:
Book Cover Painting Timelapse Video:
Discussion Questions & Activities:
If you’ve already purchased the book, then these questions & activities might be a fun way to share and learn more!
For More Info:
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