Sheep Out to Eat ANNOTATION
Five hungry sheep discover that a teashop may not be the best place for them to eat.
FROM THE PUBLISHER
The sheep are back, and this time they're hungry, venturing into a tea shop for even more rollicking fun and, of course, disasters.
FROM THE CRITICS
Publishers Weekly
Shaw and Apple offer more sheep shenanigans featuring the fractious flock that wreaked hilarious havoc in Sheep in a Jeep , Sheep on a Ship and Sheep in a Shop . Shaw's tongue-twisting rhymes, which here chronicle five sheep's attempt to eat at a tearoom, are as simply clever as ever. From the start, it's clear that this crew is out of its element. After feline waiters bring them menus, the sheep ``point to words that they can't read.'' When ``Waiters bring them spinach custard,'' the sheep ``add sugar, salt, and mustard.'' Things go downhill quickly--and riotously--after the diners put pepper on their cake and begin sneezing wildly, upsetting tables and sending cups and dishes crashing to the floor. Asked to leave the premises, ``Sheep pout. Sheep walk out. Suddenly they look about.'' The faces on Apple's wonderfully expressive creatures suddenly light up, for what they see is a lush lawn, which seems a perfect lunchtime munch. On the last page, the fleecy fivesome gambol down the road, in search (readers will hope) of more mirthful mischief. Ages 2-5. (Sept.)
Children's Literature - Susie Wilde
Shaw's sheep learn the pleasures of wreaking culinary disaster in their usual rhythmic, melodic misadventures. The book is as great to entertain a child while awaiting food in a restaurant as it is to provide a cautionary message with a sense of ridiculous.
Children's Literature - Jessy Deutsch
From the first page it is clear that sheep aren't meant to go out to eat, but the language play and pastel pictures make it fun to go along anyway. It's fun to hear the scooping of soup, the combination of custard and mustard, and the smashing and crashing of teacups! Young children will fall in love with the fluffy protagonists, delight in their mishaps, and be pleased when they discover what they're really supposed to eat-the lip-smacking lawn.
School Library Journal
PreS-Gr 2-- Shaw's sheep are back, to wreak havoc in a very dignified tearoom--until they discover that the best place for them is truly out to eat. . . on the lawn. The very simple sentences, the rhymed text (a natural invitation to sound out the words), and the humorous tone are perfect for beginning readers. The book will also delight preschoolers. Shaw has really keyed in on particular plot elements young children will like, especially the sheeps' absolute powerlessness over making a mess: ``Table tips. Teacups smash. Tea drips. Dishes crash.'' The simplicity, the slapstick, and the cheerfulness in the face of disaster will all appeal to them. The illustrations, softly colored and expressive, show the five sheep doing their best to adjust to a world in which they don't belong. All but the smallest collections will probably want more than one copy of this attractive and amusing book. --Lauralyn Persson, Wilmette Public Library, IL
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