Title: Counting Ovejas
Author: Sarah Weeks
Illustrator: David Diaz
Published: July 1st, 2006 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers
Genre & Format: Speculative Fiction, Picture Book
Key Themes: Animals, Bedtime, Bilingual, Colors, Numbers
Reading Level: Toddler, Preschool
Language: English, Spanish
ISBN: 9780689867507
Content Warnings:
None
Publisher’s Synopsis:
“Una oveja blanca. / One white sheep. ¡Adiós, oveja blanca! / Good-bye, white sheep! What do you do when you can't sleep? Count sheep in Spanish and English, of course! But what happens when those rascally sheep get a little too close for comfort? Well, if you're anything like the sleepy little hero in this clever tale, you might just tire yourself out trying to get rid of them! From the talented duo of Sarah Weeks and Caldecott Medalist David Diaz, Counting Ovejas is the perfect way to say good night (and learn colors and numbers) in English and in Spanish.”
Review: Kirkus Reviews
“As comfortable and cozy as the fuzzy pink bunny slippers worn by its peaceful, amply-robed night-capped child, this bilingual bed-time sheep-counting story is an auditory and visual delight. Gorgeously colored sheep with curly wool and black faces and ears leap or are led, pushed, or trundled across blue, green, pink and purple clouds after the parents say good-night: “Buenas noches. / Good night. (bweh-nahs no-chehs).” The Spanish pronunciation is printed in smaller type immediately below the words. The water faucet drips, and the clock ticks. “Shhhhhhhh!” and then the parade of ovejas begins: “Una oveja Blanca. / One white sheep.” “¡Adiós, oveja Blanca! Good-bye, white sheep!” The text is repetitious, as a bed-time counting chant should be, varying only in numbers and colors of the sheep. The expressions on the faces of the sheep and the child, the stunning juxtaposition of shapes and colors, the ingeniously varied ways in which the sheep are transported and the potential for teaching colors and numbers in both English and Spanish make this a winner.”
Additional Resources:
Purchase
Bilingual Video Read-Along
Replacement for Dr. Seuss’s One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish- Numbers: For More Information on Replacing Dr. Seuss, visit Teach for the Change