When Sheep Sleep
PreSchool-Grade 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, CanadaCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.