Thomas's Sheep and the Great Geography Test
Gr 1-3-Thomas is so worried about the geography test at school the next day that he finds it impossible to get to sleep. After several remedies fail, he turns to counting sheep. Unfortunately, his sheep travel with lots of luggage that quickly fills the pasture. He sends the foursome on a worldwide trip, visiting countries and participating in activities in alphabetical order. They act in Australia, kayak in Kenya, operate in Oman. Not only does Thomas fall asleep, but the whirlwind review also helps him earn an A+ on the quiz. The illustrations are adequate, although some pages are a bit crowded with scenes from countries. The four hip sheep will likely amuse readers and are certainly the book's strongest asset. However, the premise that an alphabetical list of countries, without maps or context, will help anyone learn geography seems far-fetched, and the story isn't strong enough to hold the interest of young children.-Kathy Piehl, Mankato State University, MNCopyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.