August 23, 2021
Argentinian writer Chirif brings a poet’s perception to this consideration of sheep—specifically, their bedtimes. They can’t count themselves, it seems, so “sheep count flowers to fall asleep:/ one sunflower,/ two roses,/ three geraniums,/ four jasmines.” Mijangos (The Sea-Ringed World) works in ghostly, stencil-like images, by turns sprightly and haunting, overlaid with stroked swaths of paint and dotted with small, closely worked ink motifs—ants, stars, fish. Sheep and children share the spreads. “When sheep have nightmares, they get away from the wolf at the very last moment,” Chirif writes. Mijangos draws two dark-haired, light-skinned children menaced by a wolf with a long snout. In the next spreads, they escape by running across the wolf’s great body, and one rides it into the sky like a horse. The fragmentary thoughts are like dreams themselves, and their sparkling boldness will draw those who long to wander the wilds of consciousness. Ages 4–7.
Starred review from August 1, 2021
This Argentine import invites readers to wonder: If humans count sheep at night, what do sheep count? Sheep, who sleep on the grass in the absence of things like pajamas or pillows, have numerous ways to get themselves to sleep: They count flowers, and they tell stories about other animals (and "airplanes and rainbows"). Readers also learn they fly when they sleep, circling the sun; that some "sparkle in the dark"; and that they can always flee, just in time, from the wolves in their nightmares. Illustrations are trippy, dreamlike, and utterly beguiling, with intentionally off-centered compositions; occasional moments of exaggerated scale; unexpected perspectives; repeated moon motifs; and velvety, hazy washes of rich colors with intriguing textures and floating, fine-lined drawings of flowers, fish, birds, children (all pale-faced with dark hair) dressed as sheep; and more. Deep sapphire blues dominate, but they are balanced by pops of golden yellows, greens, and oranges. At one point, the text speaks directly to readers, urging them not to fret about flying sheep crashing into things: "Don't worry!" Look closely at the spreads about nightmares to see that one child has befriended the very wolf once snarling. The final spread depicts one child falling asleep with an adult caregiver nearby. Final endpapers show children sleeping on various cloudlike shapes, with starbursts around them. (This book was reviewed digitally.) Shared at bedtime, this richly imaginative story may launch children into vivid dreamscapes of their own. (Picture book. 4-8)
COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
November 1, 2021
Preschool-Grade 2 It's time for sheep to go to sleep--and this reassuring, lyrical bedtime read imagines how they get ready and what happens next. For one, "Sheep count flowers to fall asleep: / one sunflower, / two roses, / three geraniums." And though they "don't sleep on a swaying bus / or at the movies," wear pajamas, or have pillows, they do listen to bedtime stories--and, once sleeping, dream. While the lively prose describes the experiences of sheep, the ethereal, evocative color-washed visuals connect the imagery to children, who float among shapes of animals, birds, fish, and moons. Here some sheep fly while sleeping; others "sparkle in the dark / like stars / and fireflies," portraying kids illuminated like constellations against a deep-hued sky. And if sheep have nightmares--rendered in dramatic black-and-white silhouettes of a toothy wolf--they'll escape, returning to brighter, upbeat scenarios. Eventually, all cycles back to flower counting, featuring a quiet, soothing portrayal of an adult with a sleeping child. While somewhat esoteric for younger ones, the whimsical approach and appropriately dreamlike qualities make for a lovely bedtime accompaniment.
COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
November 1, 2021
Through lyrical text and almost abstract art, this Argentinian import plays with the human practice of counting sheep to fall asleep. So what do sheep count? "Sheep count flowers to fall asleep: one sunflower / two roses / three geraniums / four jasmines." While the words describe the habits of sheep, the pictures also incorporate line-drawings of children's faces, sometimes sleeping, sometimes observing. The illustrations are composed of oil pastels, watercolors, graphite, and ink, creatively combined in Photoshop. They contain a dreamily surreal set of recurring motifs, such as tiny stars, with a deeply saturated velvety blue being a strong component of many of them. The sheep themselves are there, too, occasionally made from colored dots or shown with a child's arms and legs. The text is at times humorous ("Sheep fly only when sleeping") and, like dreams, at other times scary ("When sheep have nightmares they get away from the wolf at the very last moment"). The images for the latter are frightening, with jagged black backgrounds, people running, and a sharp-toothed wolf ready to bite a little girl -- but a subsequent wordless double-page spread seems to show peace restored, with simple curved shapes in bright colors, and a child now riding on the wolf. The rich text and complex pictures should offer possibilities for discussion with children, who may have unexpected observations of their own. Susan Dove Lempke
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)
July 1, 2021
Through lyrical text and almost abstract art, this Argentinian import plays with the human practice of counting sheep to fall asleep. So what do sheep count? "Sheep count flowers to fall asleep: one sunflower / two roses / three geraniums / four jasmines." While the words describe the habits of sheep, the pictures also incorporate line-drawings of children's faces, sometimes sleeping, sometimes observing. The illustrations are composed of oil pastels, watercolors, graphite, and ink, creatively combined in Photoshop. They contain a dreamily surreal set of recurring motifs, such as tiny stars, with a deeply saturated velvety blue being a strong component of many of them. The sheep themselves are there, too, occasionally made from colored dots or shown with a child's arms and legs. The text is at times humorous ("Sheep fly only when sleeping") and, like dreams, at other times scary ("When sheep have nightmares they get away from the wolf at the very last moment"). The images for the latter are frightening, with jagged black backgrounds, people running, and a sharp-toothed wolf ready to bite a little girl -- but a subsequent wordless double-page spread seems to show peace restored, with simple curved shapes in bright colors, and a child now riding on the wolf. The rich text and complex pictures should offer possibilities for discussion with children, who may have unexpected observations of their own.
(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)