Pete the Sheep
 First edition | |
| Author | Jackie French |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Bruce Whatley |
| Language | English |
| Subject | Children's literature, Picture book |
| Published | 2004 (Angus & Robertson) |
| Publication place | Australia |
| Media type | Print (hardback, paperback) |
| Pages | 32 (unpaginated) |
| ISBN | 9780207199660 |
| OCLC | 610560470 |
Pete the Sheep is a 2004 picture book by Jackie French and illustrated by Bruce Whatley. It is about a shearer, Shaun, and his sheep, Pete, who open a hairdressing salon for sheep.
Reception
Booklist, reviewing Pete the Sheep, wrote "This is one extended joke, but the text is so jaunty and the artwork so amusing, it's hard to mind. Most of the fun in the ink-and-watercolor drawings comes from the expressions on the sheeps' faces--and, of course, their wild and wacky haircuts. Good for story hours."[1] The School Library Journal was more critical, writing "The creators of Diary of a Wombat (Clarion, 2003) have produced a bit of harmless, silly fluff that, while mildly amusing, is hardly likely to inspire rereading. Whatley's watercolor-and-colored-pencil illustrations are clean and crisp and work nicely with the text, but there is simply not much substance here."[1]
The Horn Book Magazine found that "Whatley's cleanly designed illustrations, which favor subdued colors and lots of white space, work well with French's understated text. Strong lines focus attention on the expressive characters in the well-paced story."[2]
Pete the Sheep has also been reviewed by Kirkus Reviews,[3] Library Media Connection,[4] and January Magazine.[5]
Pete the Sheep featured as 2009's National Simultaneous Storytime selection.[6]
References
- ^ a b "Pete the sheep-sheep". bepl.ent.sirsi.net. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Pete the sheep-sheep - Reviews". catalog.wccls.org. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
- ^ "Pete the Sheep-Sheep". Kirkus Media LLC. 15 October 2005. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
As in the pair's Diary of a Wombat (2003), the understated text gives the whimsical watercolor-and-pencil illustrations plenty of room to explore the inherent wackiness of the concept, as the gentle Shaun finds the right look for everyone, sheep, dog and shearer alike. It's a sweetly fleecy tale of outsider-makes-good, the genially inevitable ending entirely satisfying.
- ^ "Pete the sheep-sheep: Reviews". catalog.wccls.org. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
The humorous illustrations, snappy dialogue, and barking and baaing sound effects make this an excellent choice for a read-aloud.
- ^ Sue bursztynski (April 2005). "Move Over Babe". January Magazine. Retrieved 21 April 2017.
Bruce Whatley's cartoon-like drawings complement beautifully the gentle whimsicality of the text
- ^ "Pete the Sheep appears at Simultaneous Storytime - News - The Book Club - ABC TV". www.abc.net.au. Retrieved 8 January 2018.