Let me sleep, sheep! by Meg McKinlay

Ill. by Leila Rudge. Walker Books, 2019. ISBN: 9781925381887.
(Age: 3+) Highly recommended. Themes: Sheep, Sleep, Humour. Young Amos is trying to get to sleep. He begins by counting sheep, but when he hears a thud in his bedroom, he is shocked to find two sheep on his floor, complaining vigorously. They were each in the middle of something, Felix eating his dinner, Walter being shorn, and it was inconvenient to be called into this bedroom.
Handling a pair of cantankerous sheep is not what Amos needs before bedtime, and to then be told their names and that several others are on their way is beyond belief. But Felix insists that they need a fence to jump over, and so Amos begins to design and then construct a fence for them to leap.
Of course, his attempts at building a fence causes more derision from Felix, until the right one is made. But when they demand music and a drink before the big leap, Amos is flummoxed, so much so that he lies down and falls asleep.
This book is an absolute stunner. A well known piece of advice on how to get to sleep is turned on its head. The story becomes a treatise on sleep and how to get there, a funny story about counting sheep, a laugh out loud look at the silliness of having a pile of sheep in your bedroom having a party. Readers will enjoy discussions about how they get to sleep, sharing tips on reaching the land of nod more quickly, and sharing ideas about their sleep patterns.
The mixed media illustrations are hilarious; the looks on the sheep faces amazingly playful, as just a small change in a hair line, ears or eyes, lip line or length of snout says so much! The detailed background of Amos' room will have eager eyes poring over each page, while the design and construction of the walls will entrance readers. Activities are available in Walker's Read to Us! Story Time Kit!
Fran Knight