Hide and Sheep

by Andrea Beaty, Bill Mayer (Illustrator)

Farmer McFitt’s mischievous sheep have escaped! Who wants to stay on the farm when they could be shot out of a cannon at the circus or go surfing at the beach—they even pose as art in a museum! Can Farmer McFitt round up this rowdy bunch in time for a wooly surprise? This rollicking, rhyming read-aloud will become a favorite counting and bedtime book for parents and kids. Bill Mayer’s energetic, expressive sheep are adorably silly, and his pictures are chock-full of hilarious details kids will love.

Genres: Picture Books, Counting, Childrens, Animals, Storytime, Humor, Fiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 3, 2011

About the author

For more information, visit my website (www.AndreaBeaty.com).

Also, visit www.Questioneers.com for posters, activities, educator resources, and other information about the Questioneer books.

Further, check out Story Time From Space to see Ada Twist and Rosie Revere read at the International Space Station by astronauts! It’s out of this world.

https://storytimefromspace.com/ada-tw...

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farmer McFitt's seven sheep go on the lam in this amusing picture-book romp, told in rhyming text. From a visit to the zoo to a stint in the circus, these ovine rebels know how to get around. But so too does the farmer, who catches up with them one by one, until they are all shorn. Now it is time for bed...

Hide and Sheep is a fun little book, one that, with its rhyming text, makes for an excellent read-aloud. Author Andrea Beaty, known for such best-sellers as Rosie Revere, Engineer and Ada Twist, Scientist , delivers an entertaining text here. The watercolor artwork contributed by illustrator Bill Mayer is cute, but not as appealing as the story. Still, leaving that aside, this is an engaging bedtime book, especially with its play on the idea of counting sheep.

[The Library Lady · Rating 2 out of 5]

This might've done better if there weren't so many really, really good sheep books out there. As it is, it's okay, but nothing to make other sheep books worry that their places will be ewe-surped :D

[Megan Wagner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like it, but some of the page illustrations are REALLY busy.

[Cheryl]

Zoo? Circus? No! I cannot even stomach the idea of animal exploitation, much less recommend this book. Dnf after about 8 pp. November 2024

[Ari S. Gans · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a bit... weird. Funny, but the illustrations are odd.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for books, especially picture books, about sheep and this one was hard to resist. It's a counting book, as the farmer has to go and find all his sheep who have run off to do fun things for the day while he was sleeping. For example,

Ten frisky lambs run away to the zoo
to meet an okapi, a kind kangaroo,
a spotted giraffe with his head in the trees.
They hang out and play with the wild chimpanzees.

The illustrations are gorgeous - I don't know if there's a name for the style but they have the black dots for shadow, and look both clean and messy all at the same time. There's some lovely detail in the illustrations without looking overcrowded, and you can count to make sure all the sheep are in the picture but also their expressions are priceless. I love the seven sheep in the cinema, in disguise -

Seven sly lambkins are eager to go.
They sneak to the village to take in a show.
Alone in the dark with their favorite flick,
they gobble down popcorn until they feel sick.

I'd love to scan an illustration to include but my scanner is the wrong shape and size for picture books, which are often square and nearly always big! You'll just have to check it out for yourself.

[Dornel Cerro · Rating 2 out of 5]

Farmer McFitt must shear his sheep, but where oh where have they gone? Ten are at the zoo, nine have joined the circus, eight are at a ball game and so on. Large two page spreads countdown the search, capture, and shearing with some awkwardly rhyming text. Six sheep visit the museum with a hilarious play on famous painters and paintings. Busy but clever illustrations done in pen and watercolors with a dotted background, similar to old newspaper comics, contribute to the humor and silliness of the story and will appeal to young children, Preschool-grade 2. An additional purchase.

[Edward Sojuwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this bundle of woolly fun, Farmer McFitt has awakened from his nap to shear off his sheep for summer...only sheepies get nervous around shears! And who can blame them. (They never even go near a BAABAA salon!) So ten sheepies run and play hide and seek, and readers get to count backwards as they enjoy the woolly ride, with sheepies trying out for baseball, catching a movie and riding the trolley!! The poor Farmer McFitt will have a "mcfitt for mc'real!" if he doesn't get his sheepies back for their haircut. The book is sweet, cute and fun. Of course! Because it has the world's cuddliest animal: SHEEEEEEEPPP!
Four stars
Trust yourself to "Wool Lite!"

[Heather McC · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Great spotties!"

This book gives off strong 'If You Give a Mouse a Cookie' vibes and lets the young reader take the driver's seat in teaching a giraffe how to ski - spoiler, the reader learns something too.

[Angela De Groot · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun counting and going to bed book.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Essentially, this is a counting backwards book. The farmer has to track down his sheep to shear them and knit the clothes from the wool. It's a nice rhyming cadence and easy to follow along.

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not bad, just nothing really memorable or exciting...It sounded like such a cute title. I expected more. It was rather boring...

[Kalynda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun rhyming counting book with great illustrations!

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Farmer is asleep and his sheep escape. The story counts down from 10 and tells what each group of sheep does until the farmer catches them, sheers them, and knits clothing.

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hahaha! Loved this fun book!

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hide and Sheep: 2 little ones went on a bike; then they crashed and had a fall. 1 little one went into school, but "CHOMP CHOMP" went the fur.
THE END

[Christina Brandsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a cute book, but the noteworthy difference between this and other counting books is that it starts with the bigger numbers and works its way to small numbers. Little guy didn't burn out on counting the sheep when he started with the bigger numbers!

[skcocnaH · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Molly O'Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hide and Sheep is about Farmer McFitt and how he must go find his sheep because he has to shear and knit clothes for them. The ten sheep set out on an adventure because they have grown restless in the barn and ready for some fun. The sheep go on ten adventures while losing one each time until Farmer McFitt finds them and brings them home. Once they are sheared and have their knitted clothes on, it ends with all the sheep sleeping with Farmer McFitt.

I would give this book a four out of five stars. Hide and Sheep is a great book for young students. The illustration in this book goes great with the text throughout the story. I would recommend Hide and Sheep to younger readers because it can teach them how to count to ten. The main theme of this book would be freedom, the sheep getting away form the farmer and going on there adventure throughout the town. At the end of book when the farmer gives them the knitted clothes it reminds me of my grandma. When I was younger my grandma would teach me how to make scarfs. I remember when I finished my first scarf I was so happy and my grandma could have not been prouder. Still to this day my grandma and I will knit together when I come to visit.

[Demisha Mcclain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hide and Sheep written by Andrea Beaty is absolutely hilarious!! This book immediately draws you in and builds suspense as the sheep run away from the farmer. This book will have you engaged and laughing as you turn the page. The story is written as a poem that tells of the many adventures of the sheep that ran away while farmer Mcfitt was busy sleeping. The sheep’s split and take a trip around town. They play ball, ride motorcycles, go to the beach, library and many other places.
This book is great for a read aloud to small children. It’s a good way to introduce children to poems and how poems can bring out your creative side. Also this book is a good book to introduce end rhymes. This book is probably a second grade reading level. Young children will enjoy this book because they get to read about sheep’s doing activities that humans enjoy doing. Also the pictures draw you into the story. The pictures in this book are really funny and detailed. This particular book is a good way to show children how they can find the meaning of the text through pictures.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a cute book to read to children. It helps them count, has a great rhyming scheme to it, and keeps them engaged with silliness. the sheep in the story and what they do is hilarious. I found myself chuckling on each page, because not only were the pictures funny, but the text was witty and smart. It was also refreshing to see how the author incorporated counting backwards in the story until there was one sheep left. This type of counting is crucial to teach kids so they are able to work on subtraction. So not only does this book teach students about rhyming and reading, it is also subconsciously teaching them mathematics.

I would recommend this book for grades Kindergarten through 3rd grade.

[Heidi-Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love the pictures--the sheep are adorable. A good counting book in lap-read or read-alone. Maybe in a small storytime, too, where they can sort through the rest of the full pictures to find the sheep. Fun to see where all the lambs go to. The rhyming was okay. A couple of them didn't quite work, but otherwise the overall rhyming did not add or detract from the story. Still, a good book and worth the smiles.

2/28/18 Used as opener for H theme. The kids really enjoyed. Had them hold up their fingers for each number and they picked up by about 6 that it was counting down.

[Candice · Rating 4 out of 5]

A counting book in rhyme, as Farmer McFitt's sheep escape just as he is getting ready to shear them. Ten run away to the zoo, nine join the circus...and one follows Mary to school. Amusing illustrations of the sheep in various places. It's fun to count the sheep on each page at the same time reading silly rhymes such as:

"Six clever sheep
in the new art museum..
Some pose like a statue
so no one will see 'em.
Hooves click on marble.
They dance and they play
with Salvador Dali, van Gogh,
and Monet."

[Jenn O'Brien · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm not sure what it was about the illustrations of this book, but it made my eyes sore, like watching a 3D movie without the glasses.

Supposedly the farmer is chasing these sheep throughout the book, but you never see him until the end when he is running through a schoolyard full of children with open hedge shears. In a world full of growing school violence, I found this disturbing.

And I still have no idea how knitting was supposed to fit in - you shear sheep to make them clothes? Just weird.

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

So cute! When it comes to picture books about sheep publishers never seem to disappoint! A rhyming, counting tale about a bunch of frisky sheep on the loose. The artwork is simple enough to share with a group, but detailed enough to hold a young one's attention, especially in subsequent readings.

[Dolly · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a fun counting book that depicts a bunch of sheep running amuck around town. The rhyming narrative and fun illustrations combine to make this a fun story to read aloud. We enjoyed reading this book together and we loved the sheep-themed variations on the famous paintings.

[Tricia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farmer McFitt's sheep have escaped...and a coundown is on as they are located in various places from the beach to the art museum. Anyone who loves sheep will flip over this book and it offers promise as a storytime title, sheep-themed or not!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was hilarious to me. I would rate it on the level of the Doreen Cronin books, which are some of my favorite!

It inspired me to create an entire story time around silly farm animals!

Must read if you appreciate the humorous behavior of errant sheep!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Farmer McFitt's sheep have jumped the gate and strayed all over town, making their way to the zoo, the circus, a baseball game and an art museum, among other places. The rhyming text makes it a fun book to read aloud. The counting part makes it a better fit for a small group or one on one reading.

[Larecia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun rhyming story about frisky sheep who go on fun adventures all around town and get into all kinds of mischief. Fun story to use during a read aloud, and focusing on counting or rhyming words. i think that young children would find this book very entertaining.