Gina Johnson
Can't Sleep Without Sheep is a delightful picture book written by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. The story follows a young girl named Ava who has trouble falling asleep. To help her fall asleep, Ava counts sheep, but it takes her so long to fall asleep that the sheep themselves get tired and decide to quit. The sheep then try to find a replacement for Ava to count, and chaos ensues as various animals, including chickens, cows, pigs, and hippos, try their hand at jumping over Ava's fence. This hilarious take on a familiar bedtime ritual is sure to charm readers with its adorable illustrations and playful text.
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What You'll Learn
Counting sheep to fall asleep
The practice of counting sheep to fall asleep is turned on its head in the children's book *Can't Sleep Without Sheep* by Susanna Leonard Hill, illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka. In the story, a girl named Ava can't sleep, so she counts sheep. However, she takes so long to fall asleep that the sheep themselves get tired of jumping over the fence for her to count and decide to quit. The sheep promise to find a replacement for Ava to count, and chaos ensues as various other animals try out for the job, including horses, pigs, chickens, penguins, hippos, and more. None of the substitute animals are as well-equipped for inducing sleep as the sheep, and eventually, they decide to return to their job of helping Ava fall asleep.
The book is full of humour and imagination, with beautiful and adorable illustrations. It is a delightful bedtime story that is sure to become a favourite for children and families.
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Ava's busy mind
Ava is a little girl with a very busy mind. She has lots of thoughts, ideas, questions, and plans, and this makes it hard for her to fall asleep. To help herself sleep, Ava's mother tells her to try counting sheep. But even as she counts sheep jumping over a fence, Ava's mind is so active that the sheep themselves become exhausted and quit!
Ava's compassionate nature shines through as she expresses concern for the tired sheep. The sheep, touched by her kindness, promise to find a replacement for her to count. A menagerie of animals then attempt to jump over the fence and help Ava fall asleep, but they are not as well-equipped for the job as the sheep. The horses are too beautiful and distracting, the pigs are too slow, the chickens are too ridiculous, and the cows are a complete disaster.
Despite the hilarious issues caused by the substitute animals, Ava remains patient and appreciative of their efforts. Eventually, the sheep realize that they are the best ones for the job and return to help Ava fall asleep. They assure her, "You can count on us," and their dedication to helping Ava showcases their charm and thoughtfulness.
Through Ava's busy mind and her journey to find peace amid her bustling thoughts, the story of "Can't Sleep Without Sheep" adds a playful twist to the familiar bedtime ritual of counting sheep. The delightful illustrations and humorous narrative make it a bedtime favorite, engaging children's imaginations and keeping them entertained until the peaceful conclusion.
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Sheep quitting the job
But the sheep are compassionate creatures, and they know that Ava relies on them to fall asleep. So, they promise to find a replacement that Ava can count on. They start their search for a new sleep aid, but it's not as easy as they thought. The horses are too beautiful, the chickens are ridiculous, and the pigs are rather slow and lazy. The penguins waddle too slowly, the hippos are too big, and the buffalo are just plain stubborn.
The sheep begin to realize that they might be the best ones for the job after all. But they can't just go back on their promise to find a replacement. So, they continue their quest, determined to find the perfect animal to help Ava sleep. They consider the cows, but they're a complete disaster. The sheep are running out of options, and they're starting to get a little desperate.
Finally, the sheep come up with a brilliant idea. They decide to return to Ava and offer their services again, but with a twist. This time, instead of jumping over the fence, they'll gently leap across the moon, where Ava can still count them, but they won't get so tired. Ava agrees, and everyone is happy. The sheep have their jobs back, and Ava can finally fall asleep, thanks to her fluffy friends.
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Finding replacement animals
In the story "Can't Sleep Without Sheep", the character Ava tries to count sheep to help her fall asleep. However, she takes so long to fall asleep that the sheep themselves get tired and decide to quit. The sheep then go on a hunt for replacement animals that Ava can count instead.
Several animals try out for the job, including horses, pigs, chickens, cows, penguins, hippos, and buffalo. However, each of these animals has its own drawbacks: horses are too beautiful and distracting, pigs are too slow and lazy, chickens are too ridiculous, and the cows were a complete disaster.
The other animals that tried out for the job, such as penguins, flamingos, and armadillos, also don't fare too well. It seems that finding the perfect replacement for the sheep might not be so easy after all.
Despite the chaos and hilarious issues caused by the substitute animals, the sheep eventually decide that they are the best ones for the job. They return to work, assuring Ava, "You can count on us."
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Illustrations and humour
The children's book 'Can't Sleep Without Sheep' is a humorous take on the familiar bedtime ritual of counting sheep to fall asleep. The story follows a young girl named Ava, who has trouble falling asleep due to her busy mind filled with "ideas and questions, thoughts of today, and plans for tomorrow". She tries counting sheep, but the process takes so long that the sheep themselves get tired and decide to quit.
The illustrations in the book are described as irresistibly adorable, dreamy, and beautifully capturing the humour and imagination of the story. The acrylic illustrations place the animals in ridiculous situations, adding to the overall humour of the book. The sheep are depicted jumping over a fence, with their puffy cloud-like forms in mid-leap, set against a starry night sky. The animals are often drawn to take up the entire space, creating a cinematic vista.
The substitute animals that try out for the job of helping Ava fall asleep include horses, pigs, chickens, cows, penguins, hippos, buffalo, and many others. Each animal has its own hilarious issues, such as horses being too distracting, pigs being too slow, and chickens being too ridiculous. The illustrations bring these foolish situations to life, making the most of the story's humour.
The book is praised for its ability to stimulate a child's imagination and keep them engaged until the peaceful ending. It is described as a delightful bedtime favourite, with a gentle sense of humour that families will enjoy. The combination of playful text and hilarious illustrations makes it a fun and engaging read for children and parents alike.
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Frequently asked questions
It is about a girl named Ava who counts sheep when she can't sleep. However, she takes so long to fall asleep that the sheep get tired and quit. The sheep then promise to find a replacement that Ava can count on.
It was written by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Mike Wohnoutka.
The book is intended for children and has been purchased by parents of small children and Pre-K teachers for bedtime stories.
The book features charming, rounded illustrations set against the backdrop of a starry night with the characters bathed in moonlight. On many spreads, the animals take up the entire space, creating a cinematic vista.
"Counting sheep" is a mental exercise for when someone is having trouble sleeping. The idea is that you imagine sheep jumping over a fence one by one and count them, which is so boring that you eventually fall asleep.
