The Sheep in Wolf's Clothing

by Helen Lester, Lynn Munsinger (Illustrator)

Overview

Ewetopia is not comfortable in her own wool, and every attempt she makes to impress the other sheep falls flat. So when an invitation to the Woolyones' Costume Ball arrives, Ewetopia knows her chance to shine has come at last. After trying on fifty-eight different costumes, she finally finds the perfect one--or so she thinks. But her wolf ensemble turns out to be none too popular with Rambunctious, Ramshackle, and Ramplestiltskin, so Ewetopia finds herself standing all alone again when a stranger enters the room. He is dressed simply as a sheep, but he is so handsome, none of the other sheep notice anything peculiar about his costume choice. Ewecalyptus, Ewetensil, and Heyewe all look on the newcomer chooses to dance with none other than Ewetopia. But as they dance across the floor, Ewetopis begins to wonder about her mysterious partner: Why is his growl so deep? Why does he have such long, sharp claws? Any why does he keep calling her Mother?!!!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780547345024
Publisher:	HarperCollins Publishers
Publication date:	09/24/2007
Sold by:	HARPERCOLLINS
Format:	eBook
Pages:	32
File size:	28 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.
Age Range:	4 - 7 Years

About the Author

Helen Lester and Lynn Munsinger have been together through thick and thin since first publishing The Wizard, the Fairy, and the Magic Chicken in 1983. They have collaborated on the hilarious Tacky the Penguin series and many other wildly funny and popular titles, including the award-winning Hooway for Wodney Wat. Helen Lester is a full-time writer who makes her home in New York, and Lynn Munsinger is a full-time illustrator living in Vermont.
Lynn Munsinger is the illustrator of many funny and popular books for children, including the stories starring Tacky the Penguin and Wodney Wat. She divides her time between Connecticut and Vermont.

Editorial Reviews

Lester and Munster (Hooway for Wodney Wat) do it again, striking a winning combination of witty wordplay and hilarious images. Ewetopia, a sheep who is "not comfortable in her own wool," dons an array of outrageous outfits in a futile attempt to impress her peers. When she receives an invitation to the Woolyones' Costume Ball, she determines to outshine everyone. Not until she tries on 57 costumes does she-in a "Ewereka!" moment-find the perfect one: a wolf's suit. At the ball, her disguise draws ample attention, yet not of the desirable sort ("Bad taste," "Faulty judgment," bleat the other attendees). Then all eyes shift to a handsome stranger entering the ballroom, whom readers will recognize as a wolf in sheep's clothing, his tail, feet, paws and snout comically protruding from his wooly costume. In a pleasingly absurd twist, he mistakes Ewetopia for his mother and suggests that they grab "a couple of fat woolyones" and go home to eat, which puzzles her ("What kind of a creep would dine on a sheep?"). Eventually Ewetopia wises up, of course, and slyly manages to drive the wolf from the ball and save her wooly comrades (their names are Ewecalyptus, Ewetensil and Heyewe). Extremely amewesing. Ages 4-8. (Sept.)

Copyright 2007 Reed Business Information

Publishers Weekly

Gr 1-3
A pun-filled tale with sheep that have names like Ewetopia, Ewecalyptus, and Ewetensil. Older children are more likely to appreciate the puns, while younger ones will simply enjoy the humor. All poor Ewetopia wants is to be noticed, and she gets her chance to shine when she is invited to the Woolyones' Ball. After trying on 57 costumes, she decides that dressing as a wolf will get her the most attention. With a sheep disguised as a wolf and a wolf as a sheep, trouble is sure to be right around the corner. The playful illustrations, suffused with expression and shades of pink, show sheep outfitted in tutus and an Elvis costume, and the wolf having a tantrum. Lester follows a familiar format in this clever tale, which would work well when compared to and contrasted with others that involve sheep and wolves.
—Judy ChichinskiCopyright 2006 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Ewetopia lives among a flock of the humorless and uptight. She has an issue, too-she's uncomfortable in her own wool-but her need to hide in an outfit is carried out with a degree of panache. Still, her cohorts don't get her act, and they are positively offended when she arrives at the Woolyones' Costume Ball dressed as a wolf, which seems like a natural. When a character dressed as a sheep appears, no one's the wiser until he rips off his disguise, revealing himself as a wolf, and snatches a few ewes for supper. The wolf has an Achilles heel, though-he thinks Ewetopia is his mother. Gaining on this advantage, Ewetopia demands the wolf do a number of chores before dinner is served. He has a fit, storms out of the ball and the lambs' chops are saved. Munsinger's artwork catches the quiet to madcap moods of the book, but the usually spot-on Lester is groping for a coherent story line. The cobbled result has humorous parts-the wolf's tantrum and some enjoyable "Who's on First" wordplay. But the book fails to gel, and why any of this should result in Ewetopia's acceptance of her own true self is a mystery. (Picture book. 4-8)

Kirkus Reviews

A pun-filled tale…older children more likely to appreciate the puns, while younger ones will simply enjoy the humor…playful illustrations…clever tale.
—School Library Journal [Lynn] Munsinger's artwork catches the quiet to madcap moods of the book.
—Kirkus 9/1/07 Kirkus Reviews "[A] winning combination of witty wordplay and hilarious images...Extremely amewesing."
—PW starred, 8/6/07 Publishers Weekly, Starred "Best of all...are the winning watercolor-and-pencil illustrations...a set of endearing animal characters..."
—Booklist 10/01/07 Booklist, ALA "Munsinger's festive watercolor are charged with energy, and they take clever advantage of the opportunity presented by the costume party..."
—The Bulletin October 2007 Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books Wilde Award Winner - New Heroine News and Observer, December 16, 2007 News and Observer —

From the Publisher