Sleep Here, Wake There: Caio Zero’s Inspiration
by Floris Books • 22 April 2025 • Children's Books • 0 Comments
Caio Zero is an illustrator and comic book artist from Brazil. His books reflect his relationships and his experiences as a Black man. Sleep Here, Wake There is the first of his books to be published in English.
The story is inspired by Caio’s childhood where, like César in the story, he was brought up by a working single mother and cared for by a neighbour he called Aunt Luzimar. Every night, he went to sleep in his own bed and every morning he woke up at his aunt’s house. Caio was convinced that his bed really was a magic portal!
Sleep Here, Wake There is a child-like viewpoint, tinged with magic, and is a love letter to Caio’s family and the community that helped to raise him. Sprinkled through the illustrations are details from Caio’s childhood – the house plants he grew up surrounded by, the hummingbirds he watched, a family photograph.
Caio hopes that through his story, children and their families will feel reassured that, although it is hard to be away from the ones we love, there is joy, wonder and fun in being cared for by others.
In the video below, Caio talks about the childhood experiences that inspired the story.
