Lionel Kalish

An offhand mention in another book about sheep cutting grass recently reminded me of this charming book from my childhood about Ramesh, a sheep who cuts the grass in fanciful patterns as a form of self expression. I loved this book when I was about five. Wow nostalgia !

I liked this book because it is an easy read for beginners. This is a modern fantasy book that rhymes on every page keeping the attention span of the reader and audience. Simple words that a beginner can sound out and comprehend are used throughout the book as well. The first page says, “Bears on the stairs.” Following this, is an illustration showing bears on stairs. A reader can fully understand the language used by looking at the illustrations. Another sentence is, “A pig in a show more wig.” Following this sentence is an illustration of a pig wearing a wig. This can show beginners what a pig looks like and what a wig is. The writing is simple and organized to not confuse beginning readers. Each page has one short sentence, such as; “A snake that can bake.” For beginners, this is easy to comprehend and there isn’t too much information thrown at them. The main idea of this story is to demonstrate what words rhyme and to show a pattern. Some of the rhyming words used are, bears and stairs, raccoons and tunes, and snake and bake. Once a reader finishes the first couple pages, they pick up on the patterns and know what to expect next. This book would be considered a modern fantasy because of the impossible events taking place. show less

REVIEW: "Poor Daddy: he has a fever, he has a headache, he has a rash, he has the chicken pox. He doesn't want to read his newspaper. He won't eat. And he can't attend the ballet recital. Will Dad ever get better? Every child who has ever had a sick parent will relate to the heroine's fears for her father--and her relief when he's well once again." -www.amazon.com
SOURCE: Pierce College Library
AGE: 6-7