Bedtime Book #3: Firefly Lullaby

Announcing Firefly Lullaby, the third in the Lullaby series! This one comes out right at the beginning of firefly season - June 9, 2026, from Candlewick Press.

Like Mushroom Lullaby and Mermaid Lullaby, this book is a calming-down book. The kind of book that brings a hush to the room. When I read the Lullaby books at school visits, sometimes I can get the entire room feel the hush.

Here is part of what Kirkus Reviews wrote:

Presented in an array of vibrant yellows, oranges, and umber reds, these dozy-eyed lightning bugs all exhibit individual personalities. Meanwhile, the surreal landscape envelops readers, harkening back to a time and place that might live in young minds forevermore. The result is a salute not simply to summer itself, but also to communal celebrations. Kraegel’s ink and watercolor illustrations carry all the silliness and humor one might hope to find on a warm July night without skidding into outright chaos and calamity.

A glorious greeting of warm weather delights, all thanks to these nutty little insects in the sky.

Pre-order it at your local bookstore. To order online, click the button below.

Pre-order Firefly Lullaby

Art Talk

Firefly Lullaby cover art with most of the masking fluid applied

Illustrating this book was a lot of fun. I transferred the sketch onto watercolor paper using a light box. Then I applied masking fluid* to everything but the sky. This allowed me to paint the sky in layers of washes, giving a clean consistent appearance. I peeled the masking fluid off and painted all the other elements and then, last but not least, I put down the ink lines using a dip pen. The nibs I used were the Nikko G, Blue Pumpkin and Brause Rose.

Firefly Lullaby cover art after first wash of watercolor

*I used two kinds of masking fluid, Fineline and Pebeo. On the Arches Hot Press watercolor paper that I used, the Fineline worked the best - the best masking fluid I have used. The Pebeo worked well too, but left a slight blue stain on the paper. Pebeo comes in larger quantities, which is handy when you are painting a lot of paper with the fluid. However, the Fineline worked so well, I plan to make it my go-to (as soon as I use up my giant Pebeo).

Firefly Lullaby cover art after the masking fluid has been removed

A snapshot (not a quality scan) of the final cover art