Can't Sleep Without Sheep by Susanna Leonard Hill

[See Don's lengthier review at Amazon] This story is about a little girl named Ava who occasionally has a hard time falling asleep because her mind is oh, so very busy. Her mother suggests she count sheep to help her sleep and this she does. She counts and counts, but as the book informs us:

"[But] her mind was full of ideas and questions, thoughts of today, and plans for tomorrow."

Still, the strategy works and Ava keeps on counting night after night, until finally the sheep ask if they can please stop as they are completely exhausted. When Ava tells them no! the sheep, as sheep will often do, say, "In that case, we quit."

What is to be done now? Well, with the help of the sheep Ava tries some replacements-- horses, chickens, cow and pigs; moose and monkeys, armadillos with hippos. Unfortunately, each animal had some major drawbacks. The buffalo, for example, charges the fence and pretty well wrecks everything.

So what will they do next?

THE SKINNY:::

I have to tell you that Mike Wohnoutka's art is top of the line, funny and fascinating. Extremely detailed but mellow pictures perfectly illustrate the text.

I have read this book to two classes of first graders. A total of 46 very sophisticated, hardcore and jaded little literary critics, and I must tell you that with the exception of one student, Ducky, they loved this book and each class demanded a second reading.

Can't Sleep Without Sheep is a perfect group read. The book is large; the pictures are quite clear; and the text is extremely precise. It is also quite funny -- both pictures and text -- and a pure joy to read to a room full of wee ones.

It would also make an excellent one-on-one read.

Don Blankenship
The Ozarks

Can't Sleep Without Sheep

• Accelerated Reading level : 2.2
  
• Hardcover: 40 pages
• Publisher: Walker Books for Young Readers (September 14, 2010)
• ISBN-10: 0802720668