Counting Sheep

Laurence Steven is Chairman of the English Department at Laurentian
University and author of Dissociation and Wholeness in Patrick White’s
Fiction.

Counting Sheep is a story about a boy named Edward, who, while counting
sheep one night in an attempt to fall asleep, has an encounter with some
visiting sheep that float into his room through his open window. The
sheep ask Edward if he wants to play. When he accepts, they carry him
outside into the woods and play hide-and-seek. Edward soon returns to
bed, wondering what sheep eat for breakfast.

Although this story/picture book is suitable for beginning readers, it
really will not interest them. Even younger children who have the story
read to them by a parent or teacher run the risk of falling asleep. (In
this way it may come in handy as a bedtime story!)

The vocabulary and sentence structure are very simple, but the
author’s habit of breaking up sentences over a number of pages may
confuse novice readers. There is also no use of rhythm, rhyme, or
regular repetition to cultivate an enjoyment of reading. And there is
little humor to entertain.

The plot itself is not very interesting, but many a pedestrian picture
book’s plot has been saved by the accompanying illustrations.
Unfortunately, not this time. Even though the typeface is invitingly
easy to read, the illustrations seem only to complement the lacklustre
story. They lack brightness and diversity in color and shape; while they
might catch the child’s eye, they are unlikely to hold it long.