Brave Charlotte

by Anu Stohner, Henrike Wilson (Illustrator)

Overview

Charlotte is different from the other sheep. She likes to explore the world around her, climbing up trees and wandering near the dangerous road while the wary old sheep "tsk, tsk." But when danger strikes, only Charlotte is brave enough to go for help and save the day. This beautifully illustrated tale speaks to all shy little sheep who stand out from the crowd and aren't afraid to follow their dreams.

Recognition

A New York Times Best Illustrated book

Reviews

"Each dreamlike image is suffused with colors that are rich yet subdued a kind of Chagall-meets-Rothko mash-up that suggests sleepy-time happiness." -New York Times Book Review

"The artwork . . . is both handsome and just a bit whimsical." -Booklist

"Brave Charlotte is a wonderfully illustrated book. You'll think of Charlotte as smart and brave when the other sheep think she is silly for traveling to get help. A great read." -Book Review Café,

About the Author

Anu Stohner, born in Helsinki, Finland, is a freelance translator and author living in Munich, Germany.

About the Illustrator

Henrike Wilson was born in Cologne, Germany, and studied graphic design and painting there and in the U.S. She lives in Germany.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781582346908
Publisher:	Bloomsbury USA
Publication date:	10/01/2005
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	9.71(w) x 12.07(h) x 0.37(d)
Lexile:	AD680L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Anu Stohner was born in Helsinki, Finland, and is a freelance translator and author living in Munich, Germany.

Henrike Wilson was born in Cologne, Germany, and studied graphic design and painting there and in the US.

Editorial Reviews

The story is funny and satisfying, but it's the pictures that stay with you: the silly sheep with their staring yellow eyes, Charlotte with her black beady ones, Charlotte snoozing on a bough or perched smugly on a cloud-wreathed pinnacle, Charlotte hitching a ride on the highway.
—The Washington Post

Elizabeth Ward

The creators of Santa's Littlest Helper offer a snippet of a tale about an intrepid little lamb who "had been different right from the start." While all the other lambs "just stood shyly by their mothers," feisty Charlotte snoozes on a high tree branch, climbs to the top of a precipitous peak and roams the countryside at night. When the elderly shepherd falls and breaks his leg, the sheep decide that Jack, the aging sheepdog, isn't up to the job of going for help. Youngsters won't be surprised when Charlotte volunteers for the task, despite the protests of her peers ("The little rascal?"; "Out of the question!"), and succeeds with flying colors. Wilson's deadpan humor comes through in acrylics that brim with diverting images of Charlotte's spontaneous bravura (which takes her to some humorously precarious perches) as well as droll depictions of her fellow sheep's incredulous gazes. Ages 4-8. (Oct.) Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Publishers Weekly

K-Gr 2-Charlotte the sheep is anything but sheepish. She likes to climb trees and swim in fast-running rivers. Even the dog can not keep up with her. The older sheep shake their heads in disapproval, but their opinions change when the shepherd breaks his leg and Charlotte is the only one brave enough to make the long journey to the farmer's house to get help. The language is simple and the text is short enough for reading aloud. The lighthearted acrylic spreads give the characters personality. Wilson does a good job of suggesting the softness of the sheep's wool and the steepness of the mountain crags, making the art almost seem tactile. The illustrations are the best part of this otherwise average picture book.-Donna Cardon, Provo City Library, UT Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Not so much a black sheep as one who just doesn't buy into the herd thing, Charlotte is forever causing the older woolly heads to tut-tut at her un-sheep-like behavior. Her predilection for wandering off to hang out in trees, take a swim or clamber up mountains stands her in good stead, though, when the old sheepherder breaks his leg, and someone has to undertake a long trip to fetch the farmer. Wilson follows the errant ovine's escapades in big, outdoorsy, soft-focus scenes well populated by woolly onlookers with comically astonished expressions. In the end, her successful mission leaves the older sheep nodding to themselves that, even though the shepherd and his dog might be getting on, "as long as Charlotte is here to watch over us, we should be okay." An appealing suggestion that independence in young human mavericks is worth nurturing, however worrisome it may sometimes be. (Picture book. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews