When Sheep Sleep

When Sheep Sleep

by Laura Joffe Numeroff
Illustration by David M. McPhail

"When you can't fall asleep. Then try counting sheep. But what do you do if the sheep are already asleep? "New York Times" best-selling author Laura Numeroff, has crafted the perfect lullaby in which a small child imagines she encounters many cuddly animal families, only to find that they, too, are snuggled fast asleep. Lovely, soothing watercolors by award-winning and critically acclaimed illustrator David McPhail capture the dreaminess of bedtime.

For children who need an extra boost to rest their busy minds and succumb to sleep, this book provides alternatives to the traditional counting sheep. Kids will love looking at the beautiful illustrations of a variety of animals sleeping in their natural environments and might even become a little droopy-eyed themselves after viewing the dozing animals. This story features soothing rhymes that show all animals need to sleep.

While reading this book, have your child practice their counting by finding how many cats are snuggled on the couch and other animals in different scenarios. With so many other animal possibilities given in this book, your child will have plenty of choices if they decide to give this popular sleep method a try. Perhaps they can even think of other animals that they would like to count.

Emily, the little girl I babysit, thought this book was very cute! She especially oohed and aahed at the cuddly kittens and snuggling bears. The ever-expressive teddy bear friend of the girl in the story was also a big hit as she just wanted to give him a big hug! We usually read this story before naptime, but it also makes a wonderful bedtime story.

--Abby