NO ONE SLEPT

FOR NINA AND MEI, WHO ALWAYS LIKE MY DRAWINGS.

First English language edition published in 2025 by Tapioca Stories

English language edition © 2025 Tapioca Stories

Originally published as Ninguém Dormia © 2022 ÔZé Editora, Brazil

Text and illustrations © 2022 Rafael Sica

English translation © 2025 Bruna Dantas Lobato

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Library of Congress Control Number: 2025935088

ISBN: 979-8-9887499-6-7

Printed in China

First Printing, 2025

Obra publicada com apoio da Fundação Biblioteca Nacional, do Ministério da Cultura do Brasil, e do Instituto Guimarães Rosa, do Ministério das Relações Exteriores do Brasil.

This publication was made possible with the support of the National Library Foundation of the Ministry of Culture of Brazil and the Guimarães Rosa Institute of the Ministry Foreign.

Tapioca Stories, a New York–based publishing house with Latin American soul, introduces young English readers to the finest Latin American children’s books, originally written in Spanish and Portuguese.

© 2025 Tapioca Stories

55 Gerard St. #455, Huntington, New York 11743 www.tapiocastories.com

NO ONE SLEPT

RAFAEL SICA

TRANSLATED FROM PORTUGUESE

BY BRUNA DANTAS LOBATO

IF IT WEREN’T FOR LITTLE KOOKY’S HELP,

NO ONE IN THAT HOUSE WOULD HAVE SLEPT.

THEY WELCOMED AS MANY PEOPLE AS THEY COULD POSSIBLY FIT.

UNCLES, COUSINS, SISTERS, AUNTS EVERYWHERE.

IF YOU HAD THE FAMILY NAME, YOU HAD A PLACE TO LIVE.

IN EVERY CORNER, RELATIVES WALKED AROUND, GOING LEFT TO RIGHT, UP AND DOWN. AND NONE OF THEM COULD EVER REST.

BECAUSE SOMEWHERE HIDDEN IN THE HOUSE, THERE WAS A GHOST FROM A DISTANT PAST.

THE DEAD RESIDENT LIKED TO GET OUT OF THE ARMOIRE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT TO TRY AND GIVE THEM A SCARE.

BUT LITTLE KOOKY WASN’T ABOUT

TO LET FEAR RUIN HER DAY.

SHE GRABBED A GOOD BOOK TO READ AND THE STORIES MADE IT GO AWAY.

THE STORIES SHE READ MADE THE WHOLE HAUNTED FAMILY FALL ASLEEP.

WHEN SHE READ, HER SISTER, HER GRANDMA, HER AUNT, EVERYONE SLEPT.

HER COUSIN, HER UNCLE, HER NIECE, ALL RELAXED.

EVEN HER MOST SCARED RELATIVE SLEPT SOUNDLY WHEN SHE READ.

EVEN

THE NEIGHBOR’S DOG DECIDED TO TAKE A NAP.

IN THE QUIET HOUSE WITH EVERYONE SLEEPING,

OF COURSE LITTLE KOOKY FELT SLEEPY TOO.

AND WITH NO FEAR TO BE FOUND, WITH HER BOOK ON HER CHEST, SHE CLIMBED INTO HER MOM’S BED AND LET HER BODY REST.