Author/Illustrator: Wolf Erlbruch, winner of the 2017 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award
Publisher: Carl Hanser Verlag, 1995
Age: 4-6
Themes: counting rhyme, herings, adaptation or nursery-rhyme
Opening: see spread image below; my translation: ten little herrings sleeping in the barn (Sheun), one got hayfever and then there were nine (neun).
Summary: (adapted from the publisher) Wolf Erlbruch’s best-seller about the ten green herrings which, one after the other, mysteriously disappear.
Why I like this book: I bought this incredibly silly adaptation of the American nursery rhyme, of which there are a number of highly controversial adaptations (Ten Little Indians), especially for the edgy illustrations and fantastic composition. But my kids loved it too!
Resources/Activities: read other adaptations, and should you come across controversial ones, and the kids are ripe for it, discuss the matter. Read the first post in this series on Wolf Erlbruch books HERE
For more Perfect Picture Book picks with teacher/parent resources, check out the list on Susanna Hill’s blog HERE.
julie rowan-zoch 
Julie, how interesting. I had only heard it as “Ten Little Monkeys” and then the recent “Ten Little Ninja’s.” I will have to see how many other adaptations I can find.
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Often the most memorable books can be the simplest and silliest ones. I always remember the Ten Green Bottles tune…lol. Thanks for sharing Julie.
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Wish I could hear you sing it!
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I can totally imagine herrings getting into all sorts of bad situations….
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This looks like another wonderful book by Ehrbruch. I finally found, and purchased, Death, Duck & the Tulip – what a poignantly simple, but emotion-filled story.
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Glad you liked it! I just met another kid-lit bookseller who thought it was too much for kids, so one can never be sure. One of my faves to recommend about death though is, The Tenth Good Thing About Barney.
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