Sheep Dreams

Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly

When auditions for the class musical come around, Liza Shetland yearns to play the lead, for she is a sheep with high hopes and divine dreams. Each night she falls asleep to visions of ``movie stars decked out in shiny costumes, glittering with jewels'' in her head, and theatrical tomes crowd her bookshelves. Liza, however, is terribly bashful (``Her dad always had to guess what she wanted for breakfast''), and audition day finds her shuffling into the line for non-speaking parts. Glamorous, gregarious Cashmere LaFondue wins the coveted role, but on opening night comes down with terminal stage fright and Liza saves the show with a song, ``a bleat that beat the band.'' Despite a few inconsistencies in the text (bold Cashmere's turning into a quivering coward), the story gambols with droll humor toward a rewarding conclusion which should bring out a spark in even the most sheepish. Lanfredi's artwork bursts with pizzazz, just as her (mostly) outgoing ovines abound with distinctive personality. Bright reds, pinks and yellows reflect the sunny naivete of this winning tale, a triumph of show biz over shy biz. Ages 4-8. (Mar.)

School Library Journal

PreS-Gr 1-- Hang on to those dreams, practice, and persevere are the underlying themes in this lighthearted story of sheepish Liza. She is so shy in class that she rarely utters a single ``Bah.'' She does dream, though, of dancing and singing her way to fame and acclaim one day. Liza longs for the lead in the upcoming class play, but can't compete with glamorous Cashmere LaFondue. She does, however, go on in Cashmere's place. As in all gratifying stories, Liza not only saves the day, but also gains newfound confidence. A palette of pastel watercolors greets readers with exuberance, while a brief, manageable text appears at the top or bottom of each page. The warmth and humor will keep children involved and anticipating each page. --Mary Lou Budd, Milford South Elementary School, OH

Ilene Cooper

Liza Shetland, a bashful schoolgirl sheep, longs to become a star, but she's barely able to bleat in public. However, when her teacher, Mrs. Hoofman, announces auditions for the class musical, a life of Amelia Eweheart, Liza is sure she will rise to the occasion and try out for the role. She doesn't. Only when Cashmere LaFondue, the sheep who's playing Amelia, comes down with a case of stagefright does Liza step into the limelight and shine. This is not a new story line, but putting the characters in sheep's clothing adds panache and wit. Every bit of the fun is expressed in Lanfredi's watercolors, which brim with emotion and motion--especially the climactic slapstick scene that has Liza swinging from the theater curtains before making her unexpected debut.