Counting Sheep

It's bedtime, and your brain would like a word.

Perhaps about tomorrow's to-do list. Perhaps about something you said in 1997.

Counting Sheep: The Completely Unscientific Guide to Insomnia follows a restless flock through 550 short, humorous entries, from the familiar business of turning pillows over to a night that becomes increasingly, wonderfully peculiar.

There are buses going Somewhere Else, a lost-property office holding unclaimed afternoons, and an astronomer keeping a spare planet. Eventually, the sheep begin finding their way home.

Written with dry British humour, the book gently drifts from everyday sleeplessness into surreal adventures and a softer, quieter ending. Along the way, 15 detailed black-and-white illustrations invite you to find a sheep hiding in each scene, while smaller woolly characters keep you company between the pages.

Comfortably sized text and short entries make it easy to dip into whenever the night feels longer than it ought to.

A quietly ridiculous bedside companion for the wide awake, and a thoughtful gift for someone whose brain keeps its own opening hours.

Count as far as you like. The sheep have nowhere to be until morning.