Board Books about Farm Animals

March 13 – World Sleep Day

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About the Holiday

Are you feeling a little sleep deprived after the time change? Me too! Today, I’m celebrating World Sleep Day as part of Sleep Awareness Week, which was established in 1998. This year’s theme is “Sleep Better, Live Better.” Studies show that most people do not get the sleep they need to stay healthy and function as well as they could. This might be due to work hours, insomnia, or other sleep disturbances.

Many children also do not get enough sleep for a variety of reasons. To raise awareness of this common problem and encourage people to think about their sleep patterns and habits, the National Sleep Foundation established National Sleep Awareness Week in 1998. Coinciding with the Daylight Saving Time change, this year Sleep Awareness Week runs from March 8 to March 14.  For more information on Sleep Awareness Week and children’s sleep issues in particular, visit the National Sleep Foundation website.

Thanks to Flamingo Books for sharing a digital copy of this book with me for review.

Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Sheepy: A Sleepy Sheepy Story

Written by Lucy Ruth Cummins | Illustrated by Pete Oswald

 

The beloved Sleepy Sheepy’s bedtime antics aren’t just for the big kids anymore! Now that adorable lamb with the heavy lids but boundless energy can send little loves to bed with a giggle or two too!  The stars are twinkling, but Little Sheepy is still boing, boing, boinging on the pogo stick in the driveway when Ma and Pa say it’s time for bed. Boing, boing, boing Little Sheepy bounces upstairs and into bed with a smile. So easy!

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Pete Oswald. Text copyright © 2026 by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Courtesy of Flamingo Books © 2026. Flamingo is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House.

As soon as the coast is clear, though, this wide-awake sheep is pogo-ing through the living room, disrupting Ma and Pa’s TV watching and sending popcorn flying. They send their little one back to bed. Ah! At last; all tucked in and snoozing. So adorable! But what’s this? Instead of dreaming “some sheepy dreams” and “rest[ing] in moony beams,” that little sheep is reading? Under the covers? With a flashlight? And in the next moment Ma and Pa get another fright. Then more popcorn goes flying, and Pa’s soon wearing the bowl as a hat.

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Pete Oswald. Text copyright © 2026 by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Courtesy of Flamingo Books © 2026. Flamingo is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House.

They let their wild and wooly lamb stay up a bit, but with the first “. . . great big yawn” and “. . . favorite pjs on,” it’s back to bed. As Ma and Pa pull up a cozy blanket, they lovingly say good night—again—”Twinkle, twinkle, sleepy sheep. / Now it’s time to go to sleep. // Time to close your sheepy eyes. / Little sheep goes beddy-bye.” So sweet! But the moment Pa and Ma are out of the room . . . . What’s that shadow crossing the floor? This time, though, Pa and Ma are ready with the perfect, twinkly solution to send their little one to dreamland. Whew!

Illustration copyright © 2026 by Pete Oswald. Text copyright © 2026 by Lucy Ruth Cummins. Courtesy of Flamingo Books © 2026. Flamingo is a registered trademark of Penguin Random House.

Lucy Ruth Cummins’ rib-tickling Sleepy Sheepy board book story—which can be read or sung to the tune of Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star—will set the youngest dreamers laughing as rambunctious little Sheepy bounces from bed as soon as the light goes out and the rhyme is cleverly cut off. Each time Ma and Pa return their little one to bed (twinsies in tow), kids will wait with giddy anticipation for Sheepy’s next move and how beleaguered Pa and Ma will react. Cummins’ sweet ending is snuggly and sure to settle any little one into snoozy slumber.

Pete Oswald infuses his sleepy time pages with lots of humor and heart that will endear Little Sheepy to the youngest readers. We’re all familiar with droopy eyelids that refuse to close and energy that never seems to wane, but the tiny smile—both knowing and adorable—says it all. Kids will giggle at the expertly executed pogo-stick jumping, undercover subterfuge, flying popcorn, and the twinsies strapped to Ma and Pa. They’ll also adore the ending that shows just how much Ma and Pa love their little one. Fans of Cummins’ and Oswald’s other Sleepy Sheepy books will enjoy spotting references to those books throughout the pages, and Pa’s final “Shhhh” will have both adults and kids laughing.

Ages Baby – 3 

Flamingo Books, 2026 | ISBN 979-8217041008

About the Author

Lucy Ruth Cummins is an author and illustrator who made her critically acclaimed author-illustrator debut in 2016 with her picture book A Hungry Lion, or A Dwindling Assortment of Animals. She is also the illustrator of This Is Not a Valentine, Truman, The Love Letter, and Little Freddie Two Pants. When she’s not writing or illustrating books, Lucy is an executive art director of Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. She grew up in Cortland, New York, and she now lives with her little family in Brooklyn, New York. Visit her at lucyruthcummins.squarespace.com.

About the Illustrator

Pete Oswald is a #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator and an Annie Award-nominated animation production designer best known for the Angry Birds Movie film franchise and Oscar-nominated ParaNorman, in addition to multiple animated studio films. He is also a children’s book author and illustrator and a painter. Pete is the illustrator the New York Times bestselling Food Group series written by Jory John, and Cranky written by Phuc Tran. Pete lives in Los Angeles, California, with his wife and three sons. Visit him at peteoswald.com.

World Sleep Day Activity

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Fleecy Blanket or Pet Bed

 

Fleecy blankets feel so cozy and warm! With this craft kids can make a blanket for themselves or for a favorite stuffed animal. They can also make a comfy bed for a pet! Children from ages 5 or 6 and up will enjoy helping to tie the tabs. For younger children, using fabric glue to attach the two pieces of fleece or cutting just one piece of fleece allows them to join in the craft fun.

Supplies

  • 2 pieces of fleece, solid, patterned, or a mix of both
  • Scissors
  • Measuring tape
  • Fluff or pillow (optional for pet bed)
  • Fabric glue (optional)

Directions

  1. Lay out one piece of fleece and measure a size that will make a comfortable blanket for the stuffed animal or is large enough for your pet to lie on
  2. Add 3 inches to that measurement on each side for the tie tabs
  3. Cut the fleece
  4. Lay out the second piece of fleece and cut it to the same size as the first piece
  5. With both pieces of fleece together cut three-inch long by ½ – ¾ – inch wide tabs all along each side. (If using fabric glue omit this step.)
  6. At the corners, four tabs will be cut off on each side

To Make a Blanket

  • Tie the top and bottom tabs together on all sides

To Make a Pet Bed

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  1. Tie the tabs together on three sides
  2. Add the fluff or pillow insert
  3. Tie the tabs on the final side

You can purchase Twinkle, Twinkle, Sleepy Sheepy from these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Bookshop

Picture Book Review

November 25 – It’s Farm City Week

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About the Holiday

National Farm City Week aims to raise awareness of America’s farmers and ranchers, who “dedicate their lives to promoting our nation’s agricultural abundance and environmental stewardship.” During this week we take the opportunity to support the crucial relationship “between farms and families and work to ensure farming remains an economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable way of life for future generations.” It is through the hard work of farmers and their enterprises—both large and small—that the country’s health and well-being are maintained.

Farmblock

Written by Chrisopher Franceschelli | Illustrated by Peskimo

 

A rooster calls all kids to take a trip to the farm to see all that happens year ‘round in this adorably chunky board book! Little readers will have a blast following a sister and brother—and their dog—as they say good morning to the ducks in the pond, the cows outside the barn, and the chickens who are happy to share their eggs and show off a dozen newly hatched chicks.

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Image copyright Peskimo, 2019, text copyright Christopher Franceschelli, 2019. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

Morning greetings give way to morning chores, and the children take buckets of compost “past the old blue tractor” to the pile, where their dog has discovered a perfect place to roll and play. Ewww! A hose and a tub of soapy water cleans him up. Then it’s time to visit the “big red barn” to “help mild the cows, brush the horses, and feed the goats. Even the “mama sow and all her piglets” get their breakfast slop.

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-farm-block-ducks

Image copyright Peskimo, 2019, text copyright Christopher Franceschelli, 2019. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

On this fall day, the corn and the apples are ready to be harvested. The fresh corn is just right for a picnic, and the apples will make a delicious pie for Grandpa. There are pumpkins in the field for making jack o’ lanterns, and later all the members of the family sit down around the long dinner table to celebrate Thanksgiving.

As the weather turns frosty, Mama chops logs and the kids gather kindling for the woodpile. The “horses in the paddock don’t mind a little snow, but the birds in the forest appreciate the seeds the girl and boy scatter for them. Evening falls and it’s time to “head home to roast marshmallows by the fire.”

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-farm-block-horse

Image copyright Peskimo, 2019, text copyright Christopher Franceschelli, 2019. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

The family is happy when spring comes. “Bees buzz in every flower…and the lambs are born.” The animals are excited to be outside in the pasture again. It’s time to get the ground ready for planting “so the plants grow up…and up! And the plants grow down…and down!” The grass grows high in summer, but then it is cut and “rolled into bales to hoist high into the hayloft.” Berry bushes produce plump, juicy berries for jam to sell on farmers market day!

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-farm-block-barn

Image copyright Peskimo, 2019, text copyright Christopher Franceschelli, 2019. Courtesy of Abrams Appleseed.

With plenty of surprises and sprightly storytelling, Christopher Franceschelli gives little readers a tour of a farm throughout the year. His straightforward sentences are cheery and sprinkled with words such as compost, harvest, paddock, and hoist that children who are developing their vocabulary will be proud to know. Kids will be excited to see annual events that their familiar with as well as to learn about the crops and the changes for the animals that occur during each season.

Just as in the other block books in the series, Peskimo delights readers with lots of cut-out windows to peek through, gate-fold pages to open out…and out and even up and down. Behind the gate folds await sweet and humorous discoveries that will have little ones giggling and aww-ing. Each page is bright and bold, and smiles abound from the close siblings to their mom, dad and grandpa to the cute animals and their babies. Even the jack o’ lanterns have wide grins. Kids and adults will enjoy pointing out and talking about all of the details of farm life included on every page and especially the antics of the tiny mouse on each spread.

A charmer that will captivate little ones’ imagination, Farmblock is a book that children will want to read again and again. The book makes a terrific gift and addition to home, school, and public libraries.

Ages Baby to 3

Abrams Appleseed, 2019 | ISBN 978-1419738258

You can view a portfolio of artwork by Peskimo on their website.

Farm City Week Activity

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Grow a Garden Game

 

With this fun game you and your family and friends can grow gardens inside! Roll the dice to see whose garden will fully ripen first!

Supplies

Directions

Object: The object of the game is for each player to fill their garden rows with vegetables. Depending on the ages of the players, the required winning number of rows to fill and the number of vegetables to “plant” in each row can be adjusted.

  1. Print one Game Board for each player
  2. Print one set of Playing Cards for each player (for sturdier playing items, print on card stock)
  3. Print one Vegetable Playing Die and assemble it (for a sturdier die, print on card stock)
  4. Cut the vegetables into their individual playing cards
  5. Color the “dirt” on the Garden Plot with the crayon (optional)
  6. Choose a player to go first
  7. The player rolls the die and then “plants” the facing vegetable in a row on the game board
  8. Play moves to the person on the right
  9. Players continue rolling the die and “planting” vegetables until each of the number of determined rows have been filled with the determined number of vegetables.
  10. The first person to “grow” all of their veggies wins!

celebrate-picture-books-picture-book-review-farm-block-cover

You can find Farmblock at these booksellers

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Books-a-Million | IndieBound

Picture Book Review