The Great Sheep Shenanigans by Peter Bently and Mei Matsuoka
| The Great Sheep Shenanigans by Peter Bently and Mei Matsuoka | |
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| Category: For Sharing | |
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Reviewer: Rachael Spencer
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| Summary: Lou Pine is a wily wolf who really fancies lamb for his dinner, but the sheep in the local field have protection in the shape of Rambo the ram. Never the less, old Lou is determined to get that lamb chop to put in his stew, but how can he outfox Rambo? | |
| Buy? Yes | Borrow? Yes |
| Pages: 32 | Date: August 2011 |
| Publisher: Andersen | |
| External links: Author's website | |
| ISBN: 978-1849392075 | |
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Lou Pine is a wily wolf who really fancies lamb for his dinner, but the sheep in the local field have protection in the shape of Rambo the ram. Never the less, old Lou is determined to get that lamb chop to put in his stew, but how can he outfox Rambo?
The characters in this book are as bold as the story, and while Lou Pine attempts to disguise himself as a sheep the tale gets more ludicrous by the minute. I liked that there is a tie in with Little Red Riding Hood as this is fun to work out and will also encourage further reading in some children. I must say I found myself cheering on as Granny sought her revenge on the wolf.
The illustrations are bright and funny, and there are plenty of intricate little details for you to spot as you go along. The layout is exciting with eye-catching type and large pictures to fill up all the pages in this nice-sized book. It is written in rhyming verses which works very well for the story and adds to the humour, especially at the climax of the tale!
Farmyard animals are always a hit with younger children so it is nice to combine sheep with a story of plotting and scheming. Lou Pine makes for a very comical protagonist and you even can’t help but feel a little sorry for him as he comes across problem after problem with his many cunning plans.
These authors have previously been shortlisted for the Roald Dahl Funny Prize, and I must say that I am unsurprised by this as I think the wit in this book is high and the laughs per page for families in it will be many. I haven’t heard of this author before, but will certainly be keeping an eye open for any more of their work.
Overall I think this is a lovely book which will make an excellent gift or a brilliant borrow from the library, and I suspect your child might not want to take it back!
I'd like to thank the publishers for sending a copy to the Bookbag.
If you liked this then you could also try Class Three All At Sea by Julia Jarman and Lynne Chapman, or how about Tappity-Tap! What Was That? by Claire Freedman and Russell Julian. We enjoyed another of Peter Bently's picture books and he has more to say on the subject of sheep.
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You can read more book reviews or buy The Great Sheep Shenanigans by Peter Bently and Mei Matsuoka at Amazon.co.uk Amazon currently charges £2.99 for standard delivery for orders under £20, over which delivery is free.
You can read more book reviews or buy The Great Sheep Shenanigans by Peter Bently and Mei Matsuoka at Amazon.com.
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