Review by Booklist Review
When you can't fall asleep, / Then try counting sheep! But What do you do when the sheep are asleep? Count other animals? As a little girl lying awake in bed discovers, cows, pigs, bears, rabbits, and all the other animals are snoozing, too. But visiting so many animals in their habitats, from barnyard to living room, tuckers her out enough to put her to sleep at last. Rhyming text, expressive watercolor art in McPhail's signature style, and familiar animals combine in this charming bedtime story. Numeroff ( If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, 1985, others) incorporates simple, descriptive vocabulary evoking comforting images: deer nuzzled together; puppies cozy and cuddled ; cats purring softly and snuggled. The warm, textured illustrations in muted tones are enchanting accompaniments, filling the pages with sleeping animals that reinforce the dreamy journey of imagination. From the beginning scene showing the girl in bed surrounded by toy animals, to the end, as the animals, now full size, keep watch on the sleeping child, this book is a delight. --Shelle Rosenfeld Copyright 2006 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
For the child who isn't easily fooled into sleep-and the parent who must outsmart him-comes a soothing story that gently coerces little ones into bed. "When you can't fall asleep,/ Then try counting sheep!/ But what do you do if the sheep are asleep," beings Numeroff's (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie) reprise of the "what if" game. Rhyming verse smoothly moves the story along, as a girl and her teddy bear consider other animal alternatives. From pigs that "snore in a heap" to "cats on the sofa/ .../ snuggled asleep," the two soon learn that no creature is immune to the lure of eventual slumber. The rhythm of the verse produces an almost hypnotic effect, the better to act as a sleep-inducing agent for young listeners. Muted watercolor images of dozing creatures tenderly capture the peacefulness that accompanies sleep. McPhail (Mole Music) keeps readers' interest by mixing up the many perspectives from a child's eye-view, be it up close and personal while peering inside a rabbit hutch or observing a nest of birds from a safe distance. The final image of the entire ensemble at the foot of the bed of the now-sleeping girl leaves a satisfying last impression. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by School Library Journal Review
PreS-Gr 2-A wide-awake child discovers that the sheep that she was literally counting on to help her doze off are fast asleep in a huge woolly pile at the foot of her bed. Exploring other options, she decides to "Count cows in the meadow/Instead of the sheep." But they are also snoozing in the moonlight. With her teddy bear by her side, she peeks in on pigs snoring in the mud, robins dreaming in their nest, and cats snuggled up on the sofa. McPhail's charming watercolor-and-ink illustrations are infused with warmth and are a lovely complement to the gentle, rhyming lullaby. The final scene shows all of the animals tenderly watching over the child tucked into bed, tired out from counting and drifting off to sleep. This cozy tale is sure to become a bedtime favorite.-Linda Ludke, London Public Library, Ontario, Canada (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
Numeroff, master of cause-and-effect, knows what happens if you give a sheep a naptime: You have to count something else! Simple rhymed text describes how a young insomniac and her teddy bear count other sleeping animals in lieu of the woolly variety. On their imaginary travels, they see a family of nuzzling deer deep in the forest, a group of cows dozing in a meadow, a pile of snoring pigs in a sty, puppies cuddled up on pillows, birds dreaming in a nest, purring kittens on a sofa, snuggling bears safe in their cave and twitching rabbits asleep in a hutch. The girl's eyes begin to get heavy, and eventually she is all tuckered out. Surrounded by so much slumber--and some of her animal friends--she drifts off to sleep herself. McPhail's warm and cozy pen-and-watercolor paintings provide the perfect touch and include inviting endpapers of snoozing sheep. A pleasant, satisfying bedtime story, just right for sending little ones off to sleep. (Picture book. 3-5) Copyright ©Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
