The Strange Case of the Missing Sheep - Mirceau Catusanu

A Thriller
Viking, 2009
$16.99
For: preschool
Rating: 4
Endpapers: Orange, hands with outstretched fingers, sheep and number at tip of each finger.

There's a cute video on You Tube that you can watch - it's only a minute and a half long, but it's fun!

There's something about these sheep, this cool burnt orange, the expression on the sheep's faces - that just makes you want to grab and ingest. And who can resist reading a book by an author/illustrator with a name like Mircea Catusanu?

Ten sheep live in Happy Valley, cared for by "one Super Sheep Dog named Doug.: He counts them every night as they go to bed. But then one night, they are missing. Now, guess who lives in nearby Dark Forest. Yup. Wolf. And he needs sheep. (When we find out why he needs them, not only are we relieved, but we are giggling....) So he lures them away with a clever trick (candy!).... Super Sheep Dog Doug to the rescue!

Very cute story with lots going on in the very cool illustrations. You can see the texture of the canvas and hunt for all sorts of things being said and going on. So much fun. PLUS, you can reiterate to kids about going off with strangers for any reason.....

The Surprise - Sylvia Van Ommen

Front Street/Boyds Mill Press

2007, originally Pub. in the Netherlands, 2003

28 p.

Rating: 4.5

Endpapers: Shelves of colored bottles (dyes)

A wordless delight - especially for a knitter. Sheep weighs himself (can't tell which gender, so I'll go with male), then hops on his moped and heads to the dye shop where he buys a bottle of red dye. At home he covers, rinses, dries, his wool, then shaves it all off. Hopping back on his moped he takes it to a fancy pink poodle who spins it into yarn. At home, he knits and knits and knits, then wraps. Again on his mjoped he zooms off to give a very long-necked sweater to his friend Giraffe, who rewards Sheep with a kiss on the cheek. Very sweet story. And a great one to write!

Illustrations are simple, very bright, and totally enjoyable.