Mariella is an inventor but she is very fed up of having to stop her inventing to go to bed so she invents a way that she doesn't have to sleep. This would seem to be the end of all of her problems but in fact our young protagonist realises that without any sleep her ideas drain away and she can invent no more. She decides that as sleep is so important she will go back to her bed at night, thus keeping her mind buzzing with ideas. There's a lot of humour in this great story that promotes STEM subjects for girls and the colourful illustrations from Katy Halford are engaging and fun. Loved the 'women with brilliant ideas' illustration inside the front cover and the spot the difference pictures on the inside back cover. Mariella's duvet cover with the periodic table on is fab and I liked the details of having a microscope next to her bed and having a star shaped bedside lamp. Another title from the Barrington Stoke Little Gems series, the smaller size makes the book comfortable to hold even for small fingers and the length makes it a great first chapter book.

So cute, fast, and thoughtfully crafted. It ticks all the boxes in a natural way and I was charmed by the sweet protagonist and her courage, innovative thought, and ambition.