Synopsis
A little lamb named Mary was left all alone in the middle of a big field. "Baa," she cried. "Baa, baa."
A mischievous little lamb named Mary makes friends with the children of Cranberry Island
Mary's mother has forgotten about her, but luckily the abandoned lamb soon finds a home with kindly Mrs. Paradise. Mary is a curious little animal. She loves to discover what the neighborhood children and their pets are doing.
But Mary's curiosity also gets her into trouble, especially with grown-ups. When something must be done about the wayward lamb, Mrs. Paradise comes up with a solution that makes everyone happy-even little Mary!
Publishers Weekly
Inspired by the real-life plight of a free-roaming flock of sheep in the Pacific Northwest, the Rands (Fighting for the Forest) allude to a certain nursery rhyme but spin a gentle yarn all their own. When a newborn lamb is abandoned by its mother, a kind woman named Mrs. Paradise steps in as an adoptive parent, tending to the fluffy charge she names Mary. Mary quickly feels at ease (perhaps too much so) with her caretaker and other humans. The little lamb becomes a nuisance in town ("That lamb of yours is marking up the school porch with her sharp little hooves," the maintenance man complains), and Mrs. Paradise is forced to search for a more appropriate home. The perfect solution makes Mary and all the humans who love her happy. Gloria Rand again taps into an affinity for creating quietly suspenseful and emotionally resonant stories that focus on people-and very often, animals-who make a difference in their community. Wrought in a folksier style and palette than usual and almost recalling the work of Patricia Polacco, Ted Rand's accomplished watercolor-and-pencil compositions bring to life the details and denizens of an island hamlet. Cheery faces, rugged, beautiful landscapes and the beguiling black-and-white bundle of wool that is Mary, prove an inviting mix. Ages 4-7. (May) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.