marybatson's Full Review: Judith Ross Enderle and Stephanie Gordon Tessler -...
Six creepy sheep said, “Let’s trick or treat,”one spooky Halloween night.
SO…they wrapped up in sheets.
Then, on little sheep feet, six creepy sheep went a-haunting.
The sheep go out dressed as ghosts with pumpkin baskets in tow ready to collect goodies. They happen upon a passel of pirates, which scares the sheep, and “one creepy sheep turned tail with a shriek.” The sheep continue their frolic through the forest until they encounter a flock of fairies. The fairies frighten the sheep, and like the friend before him, another vanishes with a yelp. Six sheep become five, five sheep become four, and so on. The last lamb is walking the forest alone when he comes upon a barn, and calls out, “Sheep trick or treat.” A farmer donned in costume opens the doors to reveal his playmates partying with all their forest friends.
Six Creepy Sheep is really clever. Judith Ross Enderle and Stephanie Gordon Tessler incorporate counting backwards, repetition, rhyme, and alliteration in this short 24-page treat. The concept of counting backward is not new in children’s book, as many have employed it, such as Melanie Gerth in Ten Little Lady Bugs, and Jennifer O’Connell in Ten Timid Ghosts; however, Six Creepy Sheep has been around a lot long then either of those titles. The text is fun to read aloud as long as you take it slow, because it can be a tongue twister. The phrase, “Then, on little sheep feet, six creepy sheep went a-haunting” is repeated with each sheep disappearance. Try saying that out loud. It’s difficult to articulate rapidly.
The authors really took their time writing this story, as there’s nothing scary about it, and it’s very enjoyable for adults as well. Six Creepy Sheep is a short story, and is appropriate for children 2-years and up. William was 2 1/2 when I bought this book, and he wasn’t frightened in the least. The story takes about a minute and a half to read aloud, but I found we’d pour over the illustrations, and discuss why the sheep ran off scared. Initially, my son was upset when the one lamb was left alone, but he realized in the end that they were playing with him, and there was nothing to fear.
The illustrations are primarily watercolor washes, though the artist John O’Brien adds lots of pen and ink details as well. The cross-hatching makes for interesting textural effects. The colors are muted, for instance the blacks are charcoal gray’s, and the browns are light taupe’s, but the sharp ink details contrast with the subdued hues. Also, I’m not sure how the illustrator was able to convey expressions. All of the characters are masked throughout most of the book, (even the farmer at the end), yet somehow we understand their emotions. The encounter with the animals is the cutest part of the book. The costumes are unique, and creative: the passel of pirates are patched-eyed pigs, the flock of fairies are masked turkeys, the herd of hobo’s are sloppy looking donkey’s, the gaggle of goblins are winged ducks, and the warren of witches is a bunch of bunnies.
My only grumble with this book is that it’s a bit short. If there were 10 sheep, rather than 6 it would be more satisfying, or perhaps if the six sheep go forward in number, and then backwards like Sandra Boynton’s, Hippos Go Berserk, it would add to the length. The fact that it’s short, doesn’t take away from its quality; but it would be more pleasing to this reader. Overall, Six Creepy Sheep is a super find, especially at the used Amazon price of .01 cent.
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