Where will the sleepy sheep sleep? by David Metzenthen and Jonathan Bentley
The very talented duo of David Metzenthen and Jonathan Bentley have collaborated in an outstanding picture book that could well appear on awards lists. Readers are asked in a recurring refrain: 'Where will the sleepy sheep sleep?' The first double page spread asks the reader: 'Do you think the sleepy sheep will sleep on top of this wild and windy hill?' And children will love to examine the illustrations and shout out why the sleepy sheep couldn’t go to sleep there. Bentley has drawn the very woolly sheep just managing to stay stable as the wind pushes against the grass and clouds as well as his ears. The look on his face is priceless – mouth open in dismay, tired eyes drooping.
The next page begins with another refrain, 'Baah!' that children will enjoy, and shows a sleepy sheep sailing through the air, being blown away by the wild wind. And the story continues, will the sleepy sheep sleep in a steep and stony valley, or where the foxes hunt and the dingoes howl, or in a small, dark and damp cave, and so on until the sleepy sheep finds just the perfect spot for sleeping.
The tongue twisting language and repetition make it a perfect book to read aloud, and the refrains will ensure that children will become involved in the story and join in and discuss why the sleepy sheep couldn’t sleep in an uncomfortable spot and begin to guess where the best place might be.
Bentley’s illustrations are eye-catching, with vivid colours and memorable characters. Many emotions are shown on the face of the sleepy sheep, just by changing the expression on its cute mouth and location of its pink toned ears, while the position of its feet signal what is happening. Readers will be aware that the sky, first appearing as a pale blue, gets darker and darker and adds to the sheep’s urgency as it searches for a place to sleep.
The exceptional humour, language and illustrations in Where will the sleepy sheep sleep? will ensure that this becomes a bedtime favourite, and older children just beginning their journey to becoming independent readers will love the repetition that will help them identify the text. This is a keeper! Just gorgeous!
Themes: Sleep, Sheep, Alliteration, Tongue twisters.
Pat Pledger