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Dear Book Lovers, Welcome! I am delighted that you have found The Through the Looking Glass blog. For over twenty years I reviewed children's literature titles for my online journal, which came out six times a year. Every book review written for that publication can be found on the Through the Looking Glass website (the link is below). I am now moving in a different direction, though the columns that I write are still book-centric. Instead of writing reviews, I'm offering you columns on topics that have been inspired by wonderful books that I have read. I tell you about the books in question, and describe how they have have impacted me. This may sound peculiar to some of you, but the books that I tend to choose are ones that resonate with me on some level. Therefore, when I read the last page and close the covers, I am not quite the same person that I was when first I started reading the book. The shift in my perspective might be miniscule, but it is still there. The books I am looking are both about adult and children's titles. Some of the children's titles will appeal to adults, while others will not. Some of the adult titles will appeal to younger readers, particularly those who are eager to expand their horizons.

Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The TTLG 2011 Picture Book Celebration: Book three hundred and thirty-four

Though we like to think that we know what we should or should not do, there are times when our good judgement fails us. We make poor choices, and as a result, we get into unfortunate situations.

In today's picture book, you will meet a pair of sheep who consistently make bad decisions, and you will also meet a sheep dog who is regularly forced to save them from themselves.



Chris Monroe
Picture Book
For ages
Lerner, 2010, 978-0-7613-5615-8
Rocky and Blossom are a pair of sheep who live in a mountain meadow along with one hundred and forty-seven other sheep and a sheep dog. The dog is called Murphy, and he knows all to well that Rocky and Blossom are a pair of troublemakers. Therefore, when the two sheep tell Murphy that they want to go to the high meadow on the mountain, he informs them that they need to stay where they are. Murphy knows that the mountain is a place that is full of dangers.
   Not surprisingly, considering their track record of making “bad decisions,” Rocky and Blossom do not listen to Murphy, and as soon as they get the opportunity, they sneak off. Murphy catches up with them and brings them home. Every time they sneak off, the dog finds them. Then, one day, the two naughty sheep finally manage to give Murphy the slip, and they find out for themselves that it really is not wise to ignore the advice of a sensible sheepdog.
   Many of us like to think that we know what is best for us, and we resent it when someone tells us that something that we really want to do is a bad idea. After all, what do they know?
   In this laugh-out-loud funny picture book, Chris Monroe uses his sheep characters to show to great effect what can happen when we don’t listen to words of caution. Children will love to see the predicaments the sheep get themselves into, and they will enjoy looking at the interesting formats used in the story that include frames and speech bubbles.

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