HIDE 'N' SHEEP

A playful counting book about a sheep who is a master of disguise.

The ovine protagonist is ready to play hide-and-seek, but watch out—this woolly friend is a master of disguise! Every page of this counting book features cartoon illustrations of a sheep hiding with groups of animals around the farm, each time donning a disguise that is sure to make both older toddlers and adults giggle. For example, the sheep hides with the cows by painting spots on itself and hides with the ducks by wearing a fake beak. Sattler’s narration is sprinkled with silly puns and turns of phrase that are perfectly attuned to young children’s sense of humor. The book charmingly begins in the second person, with the sheep asking readers to come play. Unfortunately, though, in the ensuing pages the voice shifts away from the sheep to third-person statements expressed in rhyming couplets, a choice that misses the opportunity to continue to tease readers, not to mention to inject additional humor into the storytelling. Furthermore, children who are learning to count may be confused about whether or not to count the disguised sheep on each page. Overall, though, the rhyming text is rhythmic, clever, and fun to read aloud, especially when accompanied by Shum’s laugh-out-loud illustrations.

A humorous introduction to counting and farm animals.