From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-- A mystical quality pervades this story about Jacob, a shepherd boy who is tending his sheep in a dreamy nighttime setting. The sheep leap over a gate, and rise up into the sky, where they graze on sweet stars. As they nibble on the stars, their wool fills with light and rapidly starts to grow. Jacob fears that the Wolf Star, Lupus, will catch them. Help comes in the form of Sirius, the Dog Star, who offers to guard the grazers. Jacob then seizes the crescent moon and shears his flock, gathering the wool in the moon. When Jacob arrives home, the moon basket holding the wool is empty. He joins the sheep in the grass and gazes at the sky where he notices a bright star winking at him. Recognizing it as Sirius, he bids it goodnight. The pastel illustrations on rough-textured paper create hazy, loosely defined images, harmonious to the text. The tale itself is somewhat enigmatic; simple and yet puzzling. Its unconventional symbolism may confuse a young audience. The writing is choppy, and the story does not flow smoothly. Although imaginative, the book fails to provide the warmth and clear resolution necessary for a bedtime tale. --Phyllis G. Sidorsky, National Cathedral School, Washington, D . C .
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