Rustling!
Noisy crickets!
Sheep hear hoots
from nearby thickets.
Nighttime noises
scare the sheep.
Really, who could go
to sleep?"
Ah, a bedtime book to be added to the collection that my granddaughter hears every night before she goes to bed. It is the newest addition to a wonderful group of books that I have been reading since 1986 when I first read Sheep in a Jeep. Since then, this terrific team has collaborated to create Sheep on a Ship (1992), Sheep Take a Hike (1996), Sheep in a Shop (1997), Sheep Trick or Treat (1997) Sheep Out to Eat (2005), and Sheep Blast Off! (2008).
This time we are counting sheep, a bedtime ritual often suggested for those who find that sleep is elusive. The five are sleepy as they head home to their hay-filled shed; noises in the night are unseen and scary. Is there anything that might help them settle? A collie wanders close, and uses his best tricks to get each of them to settle in ... one at a time.
Their needs are different and will be very familiar to those who don't like going to sleep on their own: a hug, a drink, a lullaby, a teddy bear, and a cozy quilt. Luckily, the pup is generous of time and patience. Once he can hear the gentle snores of each of his charges, he takes himself off to rest his own weary head.
"But where is the dog who looks after the sheep?
He's under the haystack, fast asleep."
A lovely rhyming text and lively colored-pencil artwork are sure to have a calming effect on little ones needing rest after a busy day. Humorous and charming, sure to sooth and a perfect gift for a new baby or a young toddler.
Sheep in a Jeep was one of MY children's favorites, so this series has clearly been around for a long time! This sounds fun.
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