Goodnight Sheep by author SALLY BARTON and illustrator CHERIE DIGNAM is fun picture book that’s designed to help build a calmer sleep routine. We caught up with Sally to ask about the inspiration behind the book.
What sparked the idea for Goodnight Sheep?
Goodnight Sheep was sparked by a simple comment made by my husband one night when I couldn’t sleep. He suggested I count sheep which led me to wonder how a child might view this idea. Would a child’s sheep be as orderly and well behaved as they are advertised to be when counted or would they be mischievous and very disobedient as my sheep always seem to be. In Goodnight Sheep it appears it is the latter.
Did your own bedtime experiences or childhood memories influence the creation of Goodnight Sheep?
It was my love of nonsense rhymes and stories that I was given as a child that influenced the creation and style of Goodnight Sheep partnered with bedtime stories being an important part of my childhood as well as that of my own children’s.
What was your favourite part of creating this picture book?
I loved imagining what very disobedient sheep would do in a little girl’s bedroom when they had access to all her things. I loved creating the escalation of one sheep simple painting another to the complete chaos of acrobatics and a music band and the subsequent calming of the situation by Lilly May.
What can you tell us about Lily May?
Lilly May is a sweet little child with a very big imagination which comes into play when she is asked to count sheep by her mum.
In what ways do you think this book can help with bedtime?
Goodnight sheep mirrors the real-world routine of most children’s bedtime. ‘Mum I can’t sleep’ or ‘I’m not tired’ are words heard often from children who are not eager to sleep and who tend to do most things in their power to stay awake. As in Goodnight Sheep, it is only after a series of sleep avoidance antics that the child realises that they are tired after all and calm themselves (or their sheep) enough to fall asleep. When read in a way that starts with excitement then drifts into a calming ending, Goodnight Sheep is a story that helps introduce this concept to children.
Describe this book in three words.
Fun, mischievous, woolly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
From the age of six, when Sally Barton took her first book from the library, words and stories became an important part of her life. She not only spends her days creating fictional worlds for both adults and children, but she also passes this love and knowledge on to her students as a tutor for children with learning differences. Sally previously worked for the police, but was happiest at her job in a public library while she finished her degree in Legal Studies. Sally is an avid amateur genealogist and loves to travel.
Visit Sally Baron’s publisher website
ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR
Cherie Dignam was born in North Dublin, Ireland, and now lives in Perth, Western Australia. Cherie originally studied animation drawing studies at Ballyfermot Senior College in Dublin, before completing her BA Hons in design (illustration) at Cranfield University in the UK.
In the 1990s, Cherie worked at Animation Studios, Dublin, working on feature films like All Dogs Go to Heaven, Rock-a-Doodle, and A Troll in Central Park. Cherie also freelanced at Aardman Animations, Bristol, just after completing her Art degree, and she still enjoys creating 3D objects as part of her drawing process. More recently she has been illustrating children’s books.
Cherie is an illustrator who enjoys the challenge of a wide range of subjects.
She is inspired by lots of things, street life, curious commuters, office oddballs, weird and wacky animals and lots of day-to-day household objects.
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