A Thousand Billion Things (and Some Sheep)

A redheaded girl informs readers that she doesn’t like going to sleep: “Of course, you are wondering, why not? Well, let me tell you, it’s a matter of choice!” She then takes readers through various everyday scenes (breakfast, bath time, etc.) as they are asked to locate items hidden in pages filled with delicately drawn clothing, vegetables, sea creatures, and more. The bedtime-hating frame gets a little lost itself, and the girl’s monologue takes some odd turns (“I wonder if all this choice is an eternal delight or an infernal torment,” she remarks, confounded by the options at a bakery), but Montel’s elegant images are a pleasure to pore over. Ages 4–7. (Oct.)