From Publishers Weekly
Best known for spinning new interpretations of classic fairy tales, Levine (Ella Enchanted) here ventures into folktale territory with a perky, girl-centric take on The Boy Who Cried Wolf. On her eighth birthday, Betsy receives a very special gift: the people of Bray Valley entrust her with the care of a flock of sheep. After taking the Shepherd's Oath and arming herself with Mom's pies and a wolf-watching checklist from Shepherd School, Betsy begins her new job on the mountainside. There, Zimmo, a hungry, lonely wolf with a Plan awaits her. In the original tale's tradition, Betsy alarms the local farmers with cries of wolf until they no longer believe her. But in a sweet-natured twist, Betsy wins over the wolf, who becomes her friend and co-shepherd. Despite a text sprinkled with plenty of fun-to-say words and names, not much tension builds, and the friendship forged between Betsy and Zimmo seems abrupt. However, Nash's (Over the Moon; Saturday Night at the Dinosaur Stomp) slightly anthropomorphic sheep always walking on their two hind legs sport natty woolen coiffures and demonstrate a penchant for wisecracks. Hilarious hand-lettered asides (The pie is mightier than the fang; Baaaaaad sheperdess!) give the sheep personality and lend the proceedings a snappy tone. Betsy, clad in skirt, sweatshirt and embroidered jeans, seems to straddle the Old World and the new. Kids may well cheer her courage and can-do spirit. Ages 4-8.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
Kindergarten-Grade 2-In this amusing retelling of the classic fable, eight-year-old Betsy has just taken the Shepherd's Oath. "She was going to be the best shepherd in Bray Valley history. And any wolf who tried to eat her sheep had better watch out!" However, Zimmo, the last wolf left on the mountain, comes up with a plan. He appears to Betsy, causing her to blow her whistle and seek aid, but then disappears when the farmers arrive, destroying her credibility and sending her back to Shepherd School. When she returns to the job and he tries his ruse again, no farmers come when Betsy calls, but she is determined to defend her flock. When she goes to hurl her plate of shepherd's pie at Zimmo, she suddenly realizes how skinny he is, and gives him the food to eat instead. Grateful, he helps the child rescue some of the sheep that are dangling over a precipice, and eventually he, too, takes the Shepherd's Oath and joins her on the hillside. The irony of the fact that the sheep are being saved from wolves so that they may be eaten by people will probably be lost on the intended audience, but the running commentary on events made by the sarcastic and silly sheep will not. Nash's cartoonlike illustrations, with their clean lines, crisp colors, and folk-art touches, add considerably to the story. This pleasant addition could generate discussion when paired with the original tale.
Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.
