Can't Sleep Without Sheep

September 1, 2010

PreS-Gr 1-Like many children, Ava counts sheep when she can't fall asleep. But the youngster has a great number of thoughts in her mind and her sheep are exhausted, so they set out to find suitable replacements. However, the other animals just aren't as well equipped for inducing sleep. The horses are too beautiful, while the chickens are ridiculous and the pigs are rather slow and lazy. The other applicants, including penguins, flamingos, armadillos, and buffalo, don't fare too well either. The sheep conclude that they are the best ones for the job and tell Ava, "Don't worry. You can count on us!" The charming, rounded illustrations are set against the backdrop of a starry night with the characters bathed in the moonlight. On many spreads, the animals take up the entire space, creating a cinematic vista. Hill's words are simple and effective, and leave room for the art to tell the story. The endpapers feature a series of repeated, lovely and puffy cloudlike sheep in mid-leap. A book that is delightful for the eyes and soothing to the ears, Can't Sleep Without Sheep will quickly become a bedtime favorite and a can't-sleep-without book.-Kim T. Ha, Elkridge Branch Library, MD

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