The Sheep Fairy: When Wishes Have Wings

Wendy is a sheep with a dream. She spends her days mostly eating and sleeping...but she secretly wishes she could fly! One day Wendy does a kind favor for a fairy, who in turn grants Wendy her one wish. And so Wendy sets off on the adventure of a lifetime--she flies across land and sea, to the moon and the stars and beyond. Soon, Wendy must return back home to save her fellow sheep from a prowling wolf. Though Wendy is tired from her exciting journeys, she has learned a magical lesson-- that dreams really CAN come true!

PreSchool-K-Warm, woolly whimsy prevails when Wendy, a sheep, interrupts her grass eating to rescue a fairy. As the creature is mostly interested in eating grass and sleeping, it's hard for her to take the fairy up on her offer to grant one wish in return. Remembering "her secret dream," Wendy whispers that she'd like to fly. As the fairy flits off, she tells her liberator, "When the moon comes up and the stars come out, your wish will come true," and it does. Returning from her flight, the sheep sees a wolf sneaking up on the flock, and she swoops down and scares him away. As the weary aviator sleeps the next day, the others discuss their common dream of a flying sheep. The engaging text is frequently printed on deeply colored backgrounds and takes a few frolics about the page. It is well supported by thumbprint sheep, lollipop trees, a pink-and-green-frocked fairy, bunnies, birds, bees, hedgehogs, and the wolf. Sheep's-eye views of farmland quilts lend themselves to counting activities, color recognition, and just plain pleasure. Few collections have too many books with flying sheep that have rescued fairies, and this one may be just the ticket.
Jody McCoy, The Bush School, Seattle, WA
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