Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover

by Lucy Ruth Cummins, Pete Oswald (Illustrator)

Overview

From critically acclaimed author Lucy Ruth Cummins and Pete Oswald, New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Sour Grape and The Big Cheese, comes a story featuring Sleepy Sheepy and his very first sleepover!

It's time for Sleepy Sheepy's very first sheepover! But when it's time for bed, Sleepy Sheepy CANNOT SLEEPY! You see, his blankets scratch, and his pj's don't match! Sleepy Sheepy...misses his home! Will Grammy and Grampy ever get their favorite little sheep to sleep?

From acclaimed author Lucy Ruth Cummins and brought to life by New York Times bestselling illustrator Pete Oswald (The Bad Seed, The Good Egg, The Smart Cookie, The Sour Grape), Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover is a fun and funny bedtime read-aloud that will appeal to any child who has felt a bit unsure at their first sleepover.

Praise for Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover:

"Young readers needn’t feel sheepish about appreciating this sweet, entertaining story." —Kirkus reviews

"Amusing and endearing. As a classroom read-aloud choice, this picture book is sure to elicit sleepover memories from young listeners." —Booklist

"With humor that can only be dubbed fluffy and terrific bouncy rhymes, this warm bedtime story of a “sheep-over” will be a comfort for young children." — School Library Journal

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780593465943
Publisher:	Penguin Young Readers Group
Publication date:	02/27/2024
Pages:	40
Sales rank:	118,221
Product dimensions:	10.30(w) x 10.30(h) x 0.50(d)
Lexile:	AD490L (what's this?)
Age Range:	3 - 7 Years

About the Author

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author, illustrator, and art director of children's books. For Sleepy Sheepy and Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover she wrote the words. She is the author and illustrator of Our Pool and Stumpkin and the illustrator of several books, including Truman, written by Jean Reidy. Lucy is the mother of two sons who require tucking in and re-tucking in every night. She lives in Brooklyn, New York, with her little family. You can visit Lucy Ruth Cummins online at LucyRuthCummins.com.

Pete Oswald is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The Sour Grape, The Smart Cookie, The Couch Potato, The Cool Bean, The Good Egg, and The Bad Seed, all written by Jory John. Pete's authorial debut, Hike, was shortlisted for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal. He is also the illustrator of Sleepy Sheepy, written by Lucy Ruth Cummins; Flat Cat, written by Tara Lazar; and the indie bestsellers The Attack of the Underwear Dragon, and The Return of the Underwear Dragon, written by Scott Rothman. In addition to making picture books, he works on numerous highly successful animated franchises as a character designer, concept artist, and production designer. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and three sons. You can visit Pete Oswald online at PeteOswald.com or follow him on Instagram @PeteOswald.

Editorial Reviews

Praise for Sleepy Sheepy and the Sheepover:


"With humor that can only be dubbed fluffy and terrific bouncy rhymes, this warm bedtime story of a “sheep-over” will be a comfort for young children...Oswald’s cartoon-like illustrative style features wonky shapes that bubble across the pages, mimicking the sheep’s bumpy wool and highlighting his wide-eyed expressions, while light purples, golds, and blues express an atmospheric serenity that Sheepy and readers will need. With its strong story and ebullient illustrations, this story can help address readers’ personal apprehension about sleepovers or spark discussion in a preschool setting about recognizing and easing homesickness." — School Library Journal 

"Cummins brings her gently humorous story, written in bouncy rhymes, to a predictable ending, but readers will enjoy it nonetheless, especially kids (er, lambs) who have had their own first “sheepovers” at a beloved relative’s home. The cheerful, lively illustrations are endearing; boldfaced typefaces of different sizes are incorporated playfully into the text. Young readers needn’t feel sheepish about appreciating this sweet, entertaining story." —Kirkus reviews

"As in the previous volume, the text is relatively short and, while written in prose, includes rhyming couplets from time to time, just for fun. . . . Oswald's illustrations are both amusing and endearing. As a classroom read-aloud choice, this picture book is sure to elicit sleepover memories from young listeners." —Booklist

From the Publisher

03/15/2024

Toddler-PreS—With humor that can only be dubbed fluffy and terrific bouncy rhymes, this warm bedtime story of a "sheep-over" will be a comfort for young children to hear before or during their own first overnight at a beloved relative's house. The hero of the first book, Sleepy Sheepy, is excited to pack for his first sleepover at his grandparents' home; but once he is there, he finds nothing feels quite right, from the scratchy sheets to his grampy's potato collection. Grammy and Grampy Sheepy soon address their grandson's homesickness by staying by his side and surrounding him with familiar comforts, like reading his pa's favorite bedtime story. Cummins and Oswald astutely frame Sheepy's evolving feelings in a relatable manner, showing his mood steadily change from delight to anxiety, from sadness to an ease grounded in the young one's understanding that he is loved. After such a swirl of evening activities, tuckered out Sheepy finally lies down, surrounded by soft pastel colors. Oswald's cartoon-like illustrative style features wonky shapes that bubble across the pages, mimicking the sheep's bumpy wool and highlighting his wide-eyed expressions, while light purples, golds, and blues express an atmospheric serenity that Sheepy and readers will need.VERDICT With its strong story and ebullient illustrations, this story can help address readers' personal apprehension about sleepovers or spark discussion in a preschool setting about recognizing and easing homesickness.—Rachel Mulligan

School Library Journal

2023-11-04
A slumber party is thrilling—until it isn’t.

Sleepy Sheepy is excited: He’s packed his suitcase and can’t wait for his first sheepover at Grammy and Grampy Sheepy’s house. He imagines the fun things he and his “two favorite folks” will do all night long. But anticipation is different from reality. Sleepy bids his parents good night. All of a sudden, this sheepover business doesn’t seem so fun. Everything feels different. The blankets are scratchy, his jammies don’t match, his tummy feels twisty, and his eyes are misty; even Grampy’s potato collection doesn’t distract him. Sleepy Sheepy can’t sleep; he misses home. Sleepy can’t explain his feelings to his beloved grandparents. But this wise pair know what’s what. Grampy whips up a batch of cookies, Grammy reads Goodnight Mooo’n (featuring a cow, natch)—Sleepy’s dad’s favorite—and all three dance to the Woolen Stones’ album Let It Bleat. Guess what? An exhausted Sleepy Sheepy hops into bed, ignores the blankets’ scratchiness, and falls asleep, feeling “right at home.” Cummins brings her gently humorous story, written in bouncy rhymes, to a predictable ending, but readers will enjoy it nonetheless, especially kids (er, lambs) who have had their own first “sheepovers” at a beloved relative’s home. The cheerful, lively illustrations are endearing; boldfaced typefaces of different sizes are incorporated playfully into the text.

Young readers needn’t feel sheepish about appreciating this sweet, entertaining story. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews