Can't Sleep Without Sheep

written by Susanna Leonard Hill, illus. by Mike Wohnoutka, (Walker & Co., $16.99, ISBN 978-0-8027-2066-5), 32p, Ages 3-6

When Ava has difficulty falling asleep, her mother suggests counting sheep. "But her mind was full of ideas and questions, thoughts of today, and plans for tomorrow." Exhausted from jumping over Ava's fence, the sheep quit. However, finding replacements prove tricky. The horses are too pretty, the chickens are hilarious, the pigs are slow, the cows are a disaster, the penguins try a catapult, and the hippos use a crane to hurdle the fence. Chaos ensues as the remaining applicants (flamingos, armadillos, beavers, and buffalo) grow restless and stampede the fence. Realizing that they are irreplaceable, the sheep decide to stay. This little treasure will become a bedtime favorite for years to come.

Farley Found It!

written/illus. by Bruce Van Patter, (Boyds Mills Press, 2006), 32p, Ages 4-6

Farley loves being a sheep, but he dislikes the scary meadow at night. When he looks for new sleeping lodgings, he discovers Edna's doghouse. Now, Edna changes the location of the doghouse every day, in order to keep Farley from sleeping in her house. She tries the haystack, the henhouse, and an oak tree, but Farley always finds the doghouse. Edna finally decides to build another doghouse, and the problem seems solved, except the other sheep are eyeing the new doghouse.

The Perfect Nest

written by Catherine Friend, illus. by John Manders, (Candlewick Press, 2007), 40p, Ages 4-7

Jack, the cat, is hungry and decides to build a perfect nest to attract the perfect chicken that will lay the perfect egg for his omelet. The nest, complete with Christmas lights, pillows, and a welcome mat, attracts not only a Spanish-speaking chicken, but a French-speaking duck and an American-speaking goose. The poultry began to bicker over the nest, but Jack convinces them to take up residence in another nest down the street. Unfortunately, their eggs hatch, and Jack is stuck with three chicks who think he's their mother. As he snuggles down with the three tired chicks, Jack realizes his calling in life. This humorous tale becomes more amusing when the chicks hatch with French, American, and Spanish accents.

Millie WAits for the Mail

written/illus. by Alexander Steffensmeier, (Walker Books, 2007), 32p, Ages 4-8

Millie loves to scare the mailman senseless with a loud "MOO". She waits beneath the water pump, lurks behind the shed, hides in the mud with the pigs, and generally plunks her massive bulk in every conceivable place to hide. The mail carrier decides that enough is enough and comes up with a plan to stop her. He gives Millie her own package, which she accidentally destroys along with the mailman's bicycle. Feeling guilty about her pranks, Millie decides to help deliver the mail every morning, right after the milking. Children will enjoy the expressive illustrations, especially the page showing Millie running down the road with the mailbags strapped to her back and the chickens in the mailbag sorting the mail.

Storm Is COming!

written by Heather Tekavec, illus. by Margaret Spengler, (Puffin Books, 2004), 32p, Ages 4-8

The animals misunderstand the farmer's "storm is coming" warning and expect a scary creature. When the sky grows darker, growls fiercely and flashes bright lights, the animals believe that the sky is protecting them by scaring away "Storm."

Manny's Cows: The Niagara Falls Tale

written/illus. by Suzy Becker, (HarperCollins, 2006), 40p, Ages 4-8

Out of necessity Manny decides to take his 500 cows along on his vacation to Niagara Falls, but there are a few challenges. It takes ingenuity to herd 500 very talkative bovines into busses, although they enjoy the ride by singing their version of "Old MacDonald Had a Farm." There are forgotten sunglasses, Flossie gets bus sick, and pit stops are very lengthy. At the Falls, the tours are enjoyable, but the cows much prefer the gift shop, which turns into a very expensive disaster. Putting their heads together, the cows devise an over-the-top plan to repay the damages. There's even enough money to rent limousines for the trip home. A few interesting facts about dairy cows and milking are interspersed through this hilarious tale. "A Cow must be milked 2 times a day, which makes 10 gallons of milk each day. There are 350 squirts in each gallon."

On Top of Spaghetti

written/illus. by Paul Brett Johnson, lyrics by Tom Glazer, (Scholastic Press, 2006), 32p, Ages 4-8

To the tune of "On Top of Old Smokey," hound dog Yodeler Jones, who only serves meatballs and spaghetti in his restaurant, tells a tale of a crazy meatball that was sneezed out his restaurant's window. It ricocheted all over town and into the ballpark where it was hit by a batter for a home run. This sturdy little meatball finally landed in a bush beside his restaurant where it sprouted into a meatball tree. Kids will love singing along to this zany and slapstick story. Endpapers contain music and lyrics.

Are You Quite Polite?

written by Alan Katz, illus. by David Catrow, (Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2006), 32p, Ages 4-8

This new collection of humorous poems introduces children to manners and etiquette. Katz has rewritten lyrics to 14 familiar songs on various subjects such as lateness, table manners, sneezing, and nose picking. Being silent in the library is sung to "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star", lyrics about not chewing gum at school is sung to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game", "Writing Thank-Yous" is expressed through the tune "Alouette", and "Try Being Neat" compliments the tune of "America the Beautiful". Kids will love this latest book of Katz and Catrow, while parents, hopefully, remember all the tunes

Big Chickens Fly the Coop

written by Leslie Helaioski, illus. by Henry Cole, (Dutton Children's Books, 2008), 32p, Ages 4-8

Feeling cooped up, four hapless chickens from Big Chickens decide to find the farmhouse. Unfortunately, they look in all the wrong places. The Doghouse proves to be too scary, the tractor is too dirty, and the barn has wild ponies. Finally, they locate the farmhouse and realize that their coop is next door. The only explanation, of course, is that someone moved the coop. This silly, flapping, squawking farmyard adventure is sure to tickle every child's funny bone.

Click, Clack Moo Cows That Type

written by Doreen Cronin, illus. by Betsy Lewin, (Simon & Schuster, 2000), 32p, Ages 4-8

When the cows in Farmer Brown's barn discover a typewriter, they compile their grievances in notes and tack them to the barn door. Their demands include better working conditions and electric blankets. The farmer denies their requests and the cows go on strike. The clever duck negotiates and finally Farmer Brown concedes. However, there are other animals in the barn that can type and stand up for their rights, too.

The Cow That Laid An Egg

written by Andy Cutbill, illus. by Russell Ayto, (HarperCollins, 2008), 32p, Ages 4-8

Unable to ride a bicycle or do handstands like the other cows, Marjorie yearns for her own special talent. Thanks to a few sneaky chickens with paintbrushes, one day Marjorie discovers an egg with cow markings. Marjorie now feels very special; after all, how many cows can lay an egg? The barnyard is amazed, the media is called, and Marjorie is featured in "Moos of the World". The cows, however, think that the crafty chickens are responsible. The joke backfires on the chickens when the egg hatches, a little chick emerges, looks at Marjorie, and loudly calls "Moooooooo!" Children will love this outrageous barnyard tale.

The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster: A Tale of Picky Eating

written by A. W. Flaherty, illus. by Scott Magoon, (Houghton Mifflin, 2007), 40p, Ages 4-8

A little girl travels on an ocean liner to meet her grandmother in Scotland, and every morning she tosses her disgusting oatmeal out the porthole. A tiny sea worm is delighted to consume the oatmeal and immediately quadruples in size. Katerina-Elizabeth and the worm become good friends as the ship travels across the Atlantic and up the River Ness to Lock Ness Lake. What happened to Nessie? "Being an American worm, however, it knew the usefulness of advertising, and occasionally it allowed itself to be seen at dawn." The tourists gladly accommodate the Loch Ness Monster by throwing their oatmeal into the water. This is a wonderful story filled with an abundance of humor and imagination. Children who dislike oatmeal will love it.

Pigs to the Rescue

written/illus. by John Himmelman, (Henry Holt, 2010), 32p, Ages 4-8

When rooster awakes with a sore throat, eight enthusiastic pigs on the Greenstalk Farm take over the wake-up call with loud oinks, squeaks, and snorts. Farmer Greenstalk need not worry about his broken tractor, as the pigs plow the fields with shovels and buckets. Wearing swimsuits and carrying a kiddie pool, they water Mrs. Greenstalk's garden after the hose springs a leak. When Luke, the cat, spills her milk, the family tries to avoid alerting the crazy pigs. The story concludes with the cows beating a path to the kitchen with bottles, pans, and dishes of milk. All in good fun and with hilarious illustrations, kids will look forward to the next animal rescue mission.

The Underground Gators

written by Tina Casey, illus. by Lynn Munsinger, (Dutton Children's Books, 2009), 32p, 4+

"Legend has it that alligators live in the sewers of New York City." This explains why hot dogs are so popular (alligators love them), why smoke comes up from streets (alligators love to barbecue), why there are wires on the Brooklyn Bridge (to dry their laundry), and why the Empire State Building is tall (to see Florida while the laundry dries). Some alligators tire of city life and swim away, but there is speculation that they never left. After all, who plays Go Fish with the babysitter at night? Where do the missing socks go from the dryer? (Alligators love sock puppets.).What do teachers do during the summer? (Alligators love education.) Why do donuts have holes in the middle? (To carry on their tales.) Imaginative answers to questions that have plagued the human race for years are all explained in this hilarious spoof on alligators. Tina Casey adds an endnote about the urban legend of alligators in the sewer systems of New York City, what the Department of Environmental Protection has pulled from the sewers, and an environmental warning about flushing things down drains. Adults will enjoy this tale as well as children.

Those Darn Squirrels and the Cat Next Door

written by Adam Rubin, illus. by Daniel Salmieri, (Clarion Books, $16.99, ISBN 9778-0-547-42922-9), 32p, Ages 4-8

Mr. Fookwire, his beloved birds, and annoyingly clever squirrels return for a hilarious encounter with the new neighbor's cat, Muffins. He terrorizes the birds, administers noogies and wedgies to the squirrels, and interrupts Mr. Fookwire's painting. The exasperated squirrels form an alliance with the birds and teach Muffins a wet, drippy lesson. "The squirrels' plan had worked perfectly. They gave each other high-fives. The baba birds snickered, the yaba birds chuckled, and the floogle bird enjoyed a hearty guffaw. Fookwire snapped his suspenders with delight." And Muffins? Well, he never came out of the house again. Begging to be read aloud, this lively tale will easily fit into every child's collection of favorite books.

Dear Fish

written/illus. by Chris Gall, (Little, Brown & Co., 2006), 40p, Ages 5-9

After a wonderful day at the beach, Peter Alan leaves a note in a bottle, addressed to the fish, and throws it out to sea. "Where you live is pretty cool. You should come visit us some day. Plus, my Mom makes good pies." Little did he dream that groupers, puffer fish, whales, jellyfish, sawfish, soapfish, eels, and many others would visit. Chaos ensues until Peter writes another note asking them to return home. After weeks of cleaning up fish goo, and shark eggs, "except for the stains left behind by the sea slugs—you can never get those out," things return to normal. When Peter and his family return to the beach, Peter notices a note in a seashell, "Dear Human … " Endpapers identify more than thirty species of fish in the story.

The Giant Jam Sandwich

written by John Vernon Lord/Janet Burroway, illus. by John Vernon Lord, (Houghton Mifflin Co., 2007), 32p, Ages 5-8

"One hot summer in Itching Down, Four million wasps flew into town." Faced with a painful problem, the townspeople devise a brilliant plan to trap the wasps in a giant jam sandwich. The whole town pitches in to help Bap the Baker make, bake, slice a huge loaf of bread, and carry it to Farmer Seed's field. There they spread on truckloads of butter and sticky strawberry jam and drop another slice of bread on top to trap the wasps (only three fly away). Children will enjoy the rhyming text and lively illustrations. First published in 1972, this edition includes a CD for hours of listening enjoyment.

Learning to Fly

written/illus. by Sebastian Meschenmoser (Kane-Miller Books, HC 2006, PB 2011), 56p, All Ages

This delightful and charming story from Germany features a little lost penguin, who convinces his rescuer that he crashed while flying. Everyone knows that penguins don't fly, but together they try all hilarious of ways to return the aerodynamically challenged penguin to the skies. Nothing works, until a penguin colony flies by. Children will enjoy the expressive drawings.