Rosie’s #Bookreview Team #RBRT The Elephant And The Sheep by @PatFurstenberg #KidsLit

Today’s team review is from Brittany, she blogs at https://brittthereader.blogspot.co.uk/

Brittany has been reading The Elephant And The Sheep by Patricia Furstenberg

The Elephant and the Sheep takes place in South Africa and is about the friendship of an orphaned elephant named Themba and a sheep named Albert. The book particularly excels in creating a sense of carefree joy that surrounds Themba and Albert’s friendship. There is also a strong sense of place throughout the story. There are charming touches that mention the weather and baobab trees, which help establish the African setting.

The story is written as a poem. The rhyme and meter are a bit inconsistent, but overall they help create a story that is fun to read aloud to children. The illustrations are attractive and colorful. Some of the clip art pieces were a bit blurry, but the four-year old I read the book with did not mind at all. She very much enjoyed looking at all the bright, cheerful illustrations, especially the colorful suns

The names of the main characters are not mentioned for several pages. The main characters are originally referred to as “two tails”, which could be disorienting for children reading the book alone. The reader learns that Themba sleeps all night under the tree where Albert and Themba play, but it is never directly stated that Themba is an orphan who does not have a home. Younger children will likely need an adult who can explain Themba’s situation to them. The ending of the book lends itself nicely to further discussion with children about the importance of kindness, family and generosity.

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

The story tells of an elephant calf Themba and a lamb called Albert, they meet at a puddle during the big bad thirst. They shared the puddle equally so that neither one would go thirsty. Then from that moment in time they became the best of friends. What follows is a tale of friendship beyond words and a fabulous happy ending. This story will teach children about sharing, caring and most of all what true friendship is really about. A tale of innocence and unconditional love.

Patricia Furstenberg came to writing though reading, her passion for books being something she inherited from her parents.
She won two key legs (chapter six, “Someone is Missing” and chapter nine, “Reconstruction of the Crime”) of the Write Your Own Christie Competition and was runner-up for chapter four.
When she’s not writing Patricia likes to read, read, read, drink coffee and listen to music.
One of the characters portrayed in her children stories is Pete, the yellow toy elephant. Not many know, but Pete exists and lives in Pat’s home.
This Romanian born writer is living happily with her husband, children and dogs in sunny South Africa.