I Heard a Little Baa

Steve Pitt is a Toronto-based freelance writer and an award-winning journalist. He has written many young adult and children's books, including Day of the Flying Fox: The True Story of World War II Pilot Charley Fox.

“I heard a little baa; / It woke me from my sleep. / First I saw a
woolly face, / and then I saw a sheep. // I heard a little growl; / I
peeked behind a chair. / First I saw a shaggy paw, / and then I saw a
bear. // I heard a little purr; / I lifted up the mat. / First I saw
some silky fur, / and then I saw a....”

Any guesses? This colorful little picture book depends on rhyme and
reason to guide its young readers through the narrative. The rhymes are
wonderfully catchy, and the accompanying bright and bouncy illustrations
work perfectly with the verse. What gives this book an extra kick is the
format where the subject of each set of rhymes is hidden from view by a
fold-over page. To complete the rhyme, and see the sheep/bear/bee or
whatever, the reader opens the flap and whoops! there it is. This book
will be a guaranteed hit with the peek-a-boo crowd. Highly recommended.