The 108th Sheep
by Ayano Imai
List Price:
Our Price: $5.99
You Save: $9.96 (62%)
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $1.04 (click here)
Category: Book
See more book details and other editions
Book Summary Information
Author: Ayano ImaiIllustrator: Ayano Imai
Edition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2007-03
ISBN: 158925063X
Number of pages: 32
Publisher: Tiger Tales
Book Reviews of The 108th Sheep
Book Review: Worthwhile addition to a collection of bedtime stories.
Summary: 4 Stars
Sharing stories at bedtime not only helps children's cognitive skills and imagination, it can provide a relaxing and bonding time for parents and children. Reading books about going to bed at bedtime can calm a child after a busy day or comfort a worried child. Even stories with fantasy elements can plant the skills needed to overcome real-life problems. Ayano Imai's The 108th Sheep is such a story, cleverly told with engaging illustrations. Children will relate to Emma's difficulties falling asleep, but the story extends children's imaginations to think about what would happen if we could interact with the sheep we count to fall asleep. Emma ends up temporarily abandoning her own problem in her determination to help a small sheep instead.
The cover of the large book shows Emma with eyes wide open in wakefulness. The story describes how Emma just isn't sleepy. She has already had a nice glass of warm milk, and she's even read a whole stack of books, but the exciting stories only made her feel more awake. She decides that counting sheep will certainly do the trick. One hundred and seven sheep later, she's still wide awake. Suddenly, she and the story's readers are surprised to hear a thump! The little 108th sheep cannot make it over her headboard. The other sheep are not happy, and the 108th sheep looks tinier than ever encircled by the bigger sheep that should jump over the headboard after it. Emma puts aside her problem of not being able to fall asleep to help the poor 108th sheep. After several failed, humorous attempts to help him, including stilts and a mini-trampoline, resourceful Emma saws a sheep-size hole into her headboard. Finally, the little sheep has success!
The next morning, the text describes the absence of the hole and the sheep. Readers might wonder if it all was a dream. But wait--in the final illustration, Emma is clearly holding up her blanket...covered in sheep hoof-prints! Readers are left believing something magical really did happen.
The soothing pencil and watercolor illustrations, mostly black and cream with a touch of pink and burgundy, give the story continuity. While many children's books contain bright, vivid colors, this delicately illustrated book shows that soft muted pictures can also provide energy in a more subtle way. The pictures are spacious and focus on the characters with few other details. The blackness of Emma's hair and the sheep's faces also draws readers' eyes to the characters. Imai's sheep manage to convey expression with the tilt of their dark heads and their spindly, sometimes flailing legs. Children will be amused by the humorous images of sheep training to jump over beds, and the creative attempts of Emma and the sheep to try to help the 108th sheep. The illustrations are all outlined by a squiggly bold burgundy line and a wide darker cream border, which frames but doesn't limit the characters--several times the sheep or Emma are jumping or peaking over the line. This only starts happening with the whimsical arrival of the sheep, which represents the stretching of Emma's world.
The extra large size of the book, its muted, peaceful illustrations, and its subject matter make it a great story for sharing with a child at bedtime. The thick and textured, yet comfortably soft linen pages invite children to touch the book and add to the soothing tone of the story. Imai's well-designed book contains characters which little children will quickly fall in love with. The book would be a worthwhile addition to a collection of bedtime stories.
Sleep Books
Book Subjects
- Arts & Photography
- Biographies & Memoirs
- Business & Investing
- Children's Books
- Comics & Graphic Novels
- Computers & Internet
- Cooking, Food & Wine
- Entertainment
- Gay & Lesbian
- Health, Mind & Body
- History
- Home & Garden
- Horror
- Law
- Literature & Fiction
- Mystery & Thrillers
- Nonfiction
- Outdoors & Nature
- Parenting & Families
- Professional & Technical
- Reference
- Religion & Spirituality
- Romance
- Science
- Science Fiction & Fantasy
- Sports
- Teens
- Travel
Most talked about in Sleep Books
Dream Seeds Bedtime Stories - Unseen Friends and Foesby Maud Lindsay, Fanny Barry
Published: 2011-01-28; Kindle Edition; eBooks
Price in other shops:
Maynard Moose: Sleeping Beastly and Other Talesby Willy Claflin
Old Coyote Music; Published: 1992; Audio Cassette; Book
Good Night California (Good Night Our World series)by Adam Gamble
Our World of Books; Published: 2008-04-01; Board book; Book
Best price: $9.49
Price in other shops:
Migas en las escaleras: Un misterio (Misterios para los menores) (Spanish Edition)by Karl Beckstrand
Premio Publishing & Gozo Books, LLC; Published: 2011-06-01; Kindle Edition; eBooks
Price in other shops:
Ryan's 4th of July Celebrationby Laurie Fahy
Published: 2011-06-17; Kindle Edition; eBooks
Price in other shops:
Carlee's First Picture Books Volume 2by Laurie Fahy
Published: 2011-03-24; Kindle Edition; eBooks
Price in other shops:
Emily in the Pink (The Tales of Emily)by Nancy Simons
Published: 2011-04-21; Kindle Edition; eBooks
Price in other shops:
Wake Up, Bear (Gold Star First Readers)by Lynley Dodd
Gareth Stevens Pub; Published: 1988-03; Library Binding; Book
Price in other shops:
Whoo's Too Tired? (Fiddlesticks)by Morgan Matthews
Troll Communications; Published: 1988-10; Library Binding; Book
Price in other shops:
Just a Nap (Little Sister of Little Critter)by Mercer Mayer, Nicholas Hall
Goldencraft; Published: 1989-10; Hardcover; Book
Price in other shops: