Feeding the Sheep
PreSchool-K—There are a number of children's books that trace the steps from sheep to wool to clothing, including Tomie dePaola'sCharlie Needs a Cloak(S & S, 1982); Cynthia Millen'sA Symphony for the Sheep(Houghton, 1996); and, most amusingly, Leslie Helakoski'sWoolbur(HarperCollins, 2008) and Teri Sloat'sFarmer Brown Shears His Sheep(DK, 2000). This book doesn't cover any new ground, but its approach is unique, showing the loving relationship between a mother and her daughter through the seasons as the animals are fed and sheared; the wool is cleaned, carded, spun, and dyed; and a sweater is knitted. Schubert's musical text has a predictable, soothing structure: "'What are you doing?' the little girl asked. 'Feeding the sheep,' her mother said. Snowy day, corn and hay. 'What are you doing?' the little girl asked. 'Shearing the wool,' her mother said. Soft and deep, sheepy heap." Particularly rewarding is the way the characters come full circle, exchanging roles by the book's end. U'Ren's gently outlined watercolor illustrations contribute a vivid look at farm life, at the expansive pastureland, and at the roomy farmhouse. The sheep are both realistic and winsome. The daughter's play beguilingly echoes her mother's work; for instance, when her mother is dying the wool, the little girl is painting on paper, and they both hold up their blue-stained hands. Children will want to examine the pictures for funny little details, such as a painting of a sheep jumping over the moon.Feeding the Sheepwill teach and entertain the very young, and they'll be examining their sweaters with greater appreciation.—Susan Weitz, formerly at Spencer-Van Etten School District, Spencer, NYCopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.