A Baa-rilliant Adventure with Rumbly, Tumbly & Wooly

This is the story of Christmas from the point of view of three sheep. After a surprising visit (not to us) from an angel, the three sheep are alarmed when their shepherd rushes off to Bethlehem leaving another shepherd to watch over them, so they follow their master. With magical night time pictures that are both dark and bright, a comical tale of the nativity is told. As well as visiting baby Jesus, the shepherds wrestle with wolves and perform a daring rescue. The shepherds care for their sheep very well and in return, the sheep love them.

The book feels beautiful to hold and the layout, detailed illustrations and marvellous text perfectly complement each other. The pictures draw you in with expressive faces and other stories happening at the edges of this one. At the back of the book is a non-fiction section explaining where Bethlehem is, the role of a shepherd and lots of sheep facts. The information about Jesus in this section is written from a position of faith, which makes it an ideal book for the libraries of church schools but secular schools may want to consider this before presenting it as non-fiction to their students.

Title: A Baa-rilliant Adventure with Rumbly, Tumbly & Wooly

Author: JenniferSomervell

Illustrator: Zerika van Jaarsveld

Publisher: Landing Lights Press

ISBN: 9780473529475

RRP: $21.99

Format: paperback

Publication: September 2020

Ages: 4+

Themes: Christianity, Christmas

Do you have any advisory warnings for this book? The non-fiction section is written from a Christian point of view.

Would this book work as a read-aloud? Yes

Is there a particular part of the country that it’s set in? Bethlehem

Reviewer: Kirsten Puddick, Librarian, Holy Cross School, Wellington

How are you recommending this book? Recommended

Opening sentence: Ah Oooh! A wolf howls into the night.

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