2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
A Lambly Reunion....., 2002-06-04
"Ewes/and rams/and little lambs,/arrive in buses, trucks, and vans./They travel far to meet their kin./Each cousin wears a sheepish grin./And as the flock begins to gather,/you will see they're really rather/odd, but in a woolly way./So stay-/each ewe, each ram, each little lambly-/stay and meet this close-knit fambly." Come enjoy the day with Odd Ephram, "...the cousin/that no one talks about./He traded in his woolly coat/and now wears sauerkraut", Aunt Eweginia, Sister Alabaster, "...with fleece as white as snow,/is a Kung-Fu master,/excels at Tae Kwon Do...", and Old Ramses, Little Bo Sheep, Felice, "...her wool is big and puffy./Says Felice,/I'm not obese!/Don't call me fat. I'm fluffy!", Uncle Abe Ram, Woolverton, and the rest of the flock as they brunch and lunch, play baa-dminton, and take a sheep dip in the lake. Lisa Wheeler's whimsical and charming poems are filled with puns, clever wordplay, and irresistibly endearing characters that will delight readers from 3 to 93. Frank Ansley's bold and bright artwork adds to all the fun as he captures each verse with expressive humor and wit. This is a captivating collection that begs to be shared and read aloud. So meet the flock, and enjoy a great day, because as with all family reunions and great books, the fun is over way too soon. "So long...farewool...good-baaa."
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful:
Three Bags Full of Fun!, 2002-02-06
"Wool Gathering" has become a favorite book in our home. It unabashedly celebrates a wacky, wonderful sheep family. Each poem introduces readers to a new endearing character. My daughter's favorite is Aunt Eweginia who knits herself nude. You'll have a hard time choosing your favorite! Ms. Wheeler's impressive rhyming verse is enhanced by Ansley's charming illustrations.This book will have your whole flock laughing out loud!
1 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
Clever, cute, but light, 2002-01-29
The book is carried by cleverness and puns, which makes it enjoyable, yet light. This is not a book I would treasure or re-read to children, simply because it does not compel me to...it doesn't seem to strike any real emotions. The book is a series of poems with varying lengths, rhythms, and rhyme schemes--and many of the poems are too short to amount to much (to the author's credit, I think she has great ideas, but cuts them off too soon), and some of the poems flow better than others.
A playful work overall that I recommend if you are looking for a little language fun, and not a real story. I look forward to seeing this author's development in future books.
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
Join in the sheep family tradition., 2001-11-23
WOOL GATHERING by Lisa Wheeler is a "shear" delight of a book. Great for repeated readings. This book of silly sheep rhymes will make us all look a little closer as relatives arrive for the holiday season. Don't we all have fussy uncles, slightly dim aunts, and cousins no one mentions at the dinner table? And aren't all the new members of the family welcomed and kissed and handed from loving arms to loving arms?
Give WOOL GATHERING for Christmas. This sheep family reunion story, hilariously illustrated by Frank Ansley, will give your family a chance to gather round and laugh at themselves. Make it a family tradition.
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
You'll Read Again And Again!!!!!!!!!, 2001-11-11
My kids love this book. . .my class loves this book. . .I love this book!
The words are rich and luxurious. . .like fleece keeping you warm in the snow. :))
Take this book WITH you on your holiday travels, your holiday visits. It will charm hearts over cups of hot chocolate. It will make your loved ones smile with you. It will make the kids crowd round to get the best view of the sheepish illustrations.
:) It's a TEN! Why can I only give this five stars? (G)
Very rarely do we get to find poetry that dovetails the best of traditional, with the best of now. . .making that singsong layering that you revisit again and again- each time getting another angle from the text.
Lisa Wheeler's rhyme will have you reliving those "a-ha" moments from your own family memories.
You're going to say, "When is her next book coming out? I HAVE to get it!"
. . .everyone asks to borrow this book and I tell them to go buy their own copy. ;-) There's the books you lend, and then there's the books you just can't bear to part with. Ewe know what I mean! :))