Children’s book features insomniac bear’s story

The last bounty of the late summer harvests are in, the days are getting shorter and the nights are getting chillier. Most areas in Northwest Connecticut have already seen the first frost of the season. Though for most of us winter does not change our daily work and school routine, we still feel the primal inclination, like the animals, to slow down, rest, sleep more, and hunker down during the cold, dark winter.

But what if the animals, like us, didn’t take time to hibernate during the snowy season because of the business of their lives? What if you’re a restless little bear who can’t fall asleep even though it’s winter and the rest of your family snoozes soundly? What would that bear do? Take an adventure in New York City, of course!

Caroline Nastro’s first children’s book, “The Bear Who Couldn’t Sleep,” explores just what this little bear does when he can’t fall asleep. First published in 2016, it has now been included in the Bank Street College of Education’s list of Best Children’s Picture Books of 2019 that have been translated into Spanish.

Nastro’s background is in theater, holding a master’s degree in theater and directing from Stamford University. She has worked on several productions in New York City and Ireland.

“Writing a children’s book is a lot like working in theater,” she explained of her migration into children’s fiction. “You work with images, think in pictures and collaborate with other artists.” Her work in theater helped her visualize the story as she was writing it.

Nastro’s idea for the book was inspired by the contrast she observed between New York City and her time in Cornwall, Conn., where she now lives parttime.

“During the winter in Northwest Connecticut everything is so quiet and still. The animals are hibernating. But in New York City there is still so much activity—it’s always busy in the city regardless of the time of year,” she said.

“Winter has typically been a time to rest and regroup, but in our society we don’t have that down time correlated with the seasons. We are not connected to that circadian rhythm anymore.”

Nastro began to think what it would be like for a bear in New York City during the winter amidst the constant hustle and bustle. She wrote down her initial thoughts, and her story was born.

Nastro took her first version of the book to a children’s writers’ group she belonged to at the New York Society Library where other members provided meaningful critiques. Simultaneously, she sought an illustrator to collaborate with who could bring her story to life. Nastro connected with Bulgarianborn illustrator Vanya Nastanlieva through a contact at the Cambridge School of the Arts in the United Kingdom.

After a few text revisions and with pencil sketches by Nastanlieva in hand, she was feeling confident enough to present her idea to a publisher.

A short while later, Nastro was accepted to attend the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature Conference. She discovered that Beth Terrill, editor of North South Publishing would also be in attendance.

“I had had North South Publishing in mind because I liked the books they did,” she said.

Terrill liked the idea and Nastro and Nastanlieva were taken on by North South Publishing to turn the idea for the book into a reality.

“Many times when a writer presents an idea to a publisher, the publisher goes out to find an illustrator after the manuscript is finalized without any input from the author,” Nastro explained. “I wanted to work collaboratively with the illustrator and publisher as a team. I was able to act as a sort of art director for the project.”

Through the feedback Terrill, Nastanlieva and Nastro gave each other, the book evolved.

“I have received a lot of support from area bookstores,” Nastro said, including The Wish House in West Cornwall, House of Books in Kent and Hickory Stick Bookshop in Washington.

Contributed / Nastro