10 Funny Sheep by Ed Allen ill Andrea Edmonds

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

And if one funny sheep should get the words all wrong,

There’ll be nine funny sheep singing a silly song.

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

Ten funny sheep singing a silly song

And if one funny sheep should get the words all wrong,

There’ll be nine funny sheep singing a silly song.

10 Funny Sheep is a new version of the classic rhyme/song ’10 Green Bottles’. In this version instead of bottles toppling there are sheep in all manner of scrapes. One gets tangled in the clothes line, another falls off a carousel. One by one, the chorus shrinks until there is only a single funny sheep. Try as the last sheep might, she can’t fly her kite. Fortunately it all ends well with the ten funny sheep reunited for a nap. Illustrations are watercolour and mostly full spread. Extra details on each spread, like the different fences in the maze, other farm animals and numbers, will keep young readers exploring as the text is read/sung.

Many teachers and parents will be familiar with this diminishing-number rhyme and the rhythm is strong enough to encourage young readers to join in. Numbers are displayed as words as well as symbols which will help support recognition with pre-readers. Readers can count the number of sheep on each page, trace the number and identify the word. They can also count other farm-things on each page. Illustrations are gentle and humourous and sure to appeal to young children. Recommended for pre-schoolers and adults who need a frame for their singing!

 

10 Funny Sheep, Ed Allen ill Andread Edmonds Scholastic 2013 ISBN: 9781742836379

review by Claire Saxby, Children’s author and bookseller

www.clairesaxby.com