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Titles: The Elephant and the
Sheep
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Author: Patricia Furstenberg
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Published: 2017
The Elephant and the
Sheep is
an illustrated children’s poem based on the real-life story
of an orphaned elephant who was adopted by a sheep.
The Elephant and the Sheep takes place in South Africa and is about the
friendship of an orphaned elephant named Themba and a sheep named Albert. The book particularly excels in creating a
sense of carefree joy that surrounds Themba and Albert’s friendship. There is also a strong sense of place
throughout the story. There are charming
touches that mention the weather and baobab trees, which help establish the
African setting.
The story is written as a
poem. The rhyme and meter are a bit inconsistent, but overall they help create
a story that is fun to read aloud to children. The illustrations are attractive
and colorful. Some of the clip art pieces were a bit blurry, but the four-year
old I read the book with did not mind at all.
She very much enjoyed looking at all the bright, cheerful illustrations,
especially the colorful suns
The names of the main characters are not mentioned
for several pages. The main characters are originally referred to as “two
tails”, which could be disorienting for children reading the book alone. The
reader learns that Themba sleeps all night under the tree where Albert and
Themba play, but it is never directly stated that Themba is an orphan who does
not have a home. Younger children will
likely need an adult who can explain Themba’s situation to them. The ending of
the book lends itself nicely to further discussion with children about the
importance of kindness, family and generosity.
My Rating: 4/5 Stars
***
Thanks for reading! This is another #RBRT
review. Thanks to Patricia Furstenberg for sending me a free e-book to
read. If you enjoyed this review, please share or follow for more book
reviews.
-Brittany
Thank you Brittany.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Brittany, I do appreciate your time and energy as well as your kind words.
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