Time to Sleep SHEEP the SHEEP! - Picture Book

Bibliography:

Willems, Mo.  2010.  TIME TO SLEEP SHEEP THE SHEEP!  Balzer + Bray.  ISBN 0061728470

Plot Summary: 

     Time to Sleep SHEEP the SHEEP! is an adorable beginner children’s storybook.  The story is simple with the main character Cat the Cat running to each of his furry friends, Pig the Pig, Giraffe the Giraffe, Shark the Shark, etc., telling them it’s time for bed.  Cat the Cat finds each of his friends doing something that is indicative to going to bed such as brushing teeth, taking a bath or getting a glass of water.  There is a special character at the end of the book that is the exact opposite of all of Cat the Cat's friends!

Critical Analysis: 

     Time to Sleep SHEEP the SHEEP! is a repetitive story in that Cat the Cat lets everyone know it’s time for bed which is great for very young children.  When children are able to hear similar lines within a story over and over they become familiar with the story and in turn are able to connect the words with the pictures.  The pictures in Mo Willems book are brightly colored and all of the animals are doing something that a child would be familiar with and associate with bedtime.  The illustrations are simple, the expressions on all of the animals faces go along with the actions of what the animal is doing which also adds another element to the story.

Review Excerpts and Awards:

     A progressively dark and soothing nighttime blue backs up Willems’ cartoon critters in this get-ready-for-bed picture book starring Cat the Cat, with cameos by among others, Pig the Pig, Giraffe the Giraffe, Crab the Crab, etc. Cat tells each of the animals, who are engaged in various nighttime pursuits (reading a book, washing up, brushing teeth, going potty), that it’s time to sleep. A perfectly well-timed joke arrives courtesy of the pop-eyed owl one assumes to be Owl the Owl. He definitely isn’t ready for bed, but his arrival caps off this smiles-all-around, understated tour of pre-bedtime activities. - Booklist

Connections:

• Getting children involved in a conversation about what they are seeing and hearing from a story is a great way to get them to engage.  Because each of the animals in this story is doing something very recognizable to a child, asking them questions about what they see, what is the animal doing and so forth will help them engage and make connections with the story.
• All of the Mo Willems books are similar in bright colors, simple story lines and unique characters, introducing such titles as KNUFFLE BUNNY ISBN 0786818700, DON'T LET THE PIGEON DRIVE THE BUS ISBN 078681988X and PIGS MAKE ME SNEEZE ISBN 1423114116 to children is a sure way to make life long readers!
• Other books to consider might be BARK GEORGE! by Jules Feiffer ISBN 0062051857 and Caldecott Award Winner CLICK, CLACK, MOO: COWS THAT TYPE by Doreen Cronin with illustrations by Betsy Lewin ISBN 1416903488.