Brave Charlotte (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) [Hardcover]

Anu Stohner (Author), Henrike Wilson (Author, Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up | Grade Level: P and up | Series: New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)

Charlotte is different from all 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.

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Kindergarten-Grade 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 © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 2. The other sheep huddle sheeplike in the pasture, but Charlotte is a risk taker. They shake their heads when they see her leaping riverbanks and climbing peaks, and sheepdog Jack has his paws full with Charlotte. Yet Charlotte's intrepid behavior is an asset when the shepherd breaks his leg. It's Charlotte who makes her way to the farmer's house to get help, climbing over the mountains and getting a truck driver to give her a lift. Of course, all ends well, and that expected outcome adds to the book's main problem--a lack of surprise. On the plus side, the artwork, in an oversize format, is both handsome and just a bit whimsical--especially the spread showing four sheep staring out at the reader and asking, "What is she up to now?" The text is short enough to be easily read aloud, and there are a few lessons about bravery--as well as a caution that taking rides from truck drivers is only for sheep. Ilene Cooper
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 4 and up
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens (September 15, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1582346909
• ISBN-13: 978-1582346908
• Product Dimensions: 12.1 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #586,086 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good Charlotte, March 26, 2006

By 

E. R. Bird "Ramseelbird" (Manhattan, NY) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Brave Charlotte (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) (Hardcover)

The translated picture book is slowly getting more and more attention in America today. It used to be that you'd see a foreign translated title maybe once or twice in a year. Now, however, books from Germany and Italy and all kinds of places are getting more and more attention. Finland, however, has never had an American picture book hit. So when "Brave Charlotte" came out, it looked like the Fins had a sure thing going. A cute plot. Lovely little illustrations by a German illustrator. And it's all about an adorable sheep who just want to help others. What's not to like? Unfortunately the book just does not hang together very well. I'm not certain if it was the translation, the nature of the story, or the odd plot arc but for all it's charms, "Brave Charlotte" definitely comes off as less than satisfying. It's perfectly nice to look at and all. But I seriously question the New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year honor it received. Nice but definitely no wonder.

You have your normal everyday sheep, and then you have Charlotte. Right from the start she was different. When the other lambs stuck close to their mothers she would go bounding off in pursuit of adventure. When they would sleep at night she'd find a secret spot far away in the countryside where she could look at the moon. One day, the shepherd who tends the flock breaks his leg. The sheep don't know what to do and old Jack the border collie is too old to go get help. Who's it up to to save the day? Why none other than Charlotte, of course! Off she goes to get help. She fords streams, bounds over fields, hitchhikes on the highway, and finally finds a farmer who knows her and gets a doctor for the shepherd. Having proved herself, now all the sheep turn to Charlotte for guidance and protection. And Charlotte takes Jack the collie to her favorite spot.

I had some problems with the story, I have to admit. Some of these were definite translation mistakes. Translator Alyson Cole may know quite a lot about changing Finnish words into English, but she knows bupkiss about sheep. Jack the border collie is repeatedly referred to as a sheepdog. But sheepdogs are very different from collies. A sheepdog looks like a big while wooly sheep and protects the flock because it thinks it IS a sheep. Collies do the herding and the work moving about the sheep. There are other mistakes in the book as well, though. Part of the problem is the ending. The last image in the book is of Charlotte taking Jack off to see her secret spot. Jack is mentioned several times in the book by the other sheep as being old, but he never says a word himself. There isn't any contention or friendship shown between himself and Charlotte until that very last image. So why end the book with Charlotte sharing a secret when her newfound friendship with the dog is without any cause whatsoever? Then there's the problem with Charlotte's inclination towards dangerous situations. Stohner plays up Charlotte's adventurous nature, and that's all well and good at first. She climbs comically tall mountains. She climbs high trees for the fun of it. But then she starts doing dangerous things as well. She leaps, on purpose, into a "fast-running stream" for no apparent reason. Worse still, the sheep find her one day, "on the side of a dangerously busy road, staring at the oncoming traffic". She doesn't want to tell the other sheep what she's up to. Now, the other sheep are portrayed like overly timid busybodies. Then you have a youngster eyeing a busy road and their worries come off as interfering and persnickety. What a great lesson for the kids! Hey, children! Great news! If you want to cross that incredibly busy street or leap into some nearby rapids, feel free! Anyone who tells you to be careful or to watch yourself is probably just a wimp. Do what you feel instead! Sheesh. I don't usually care if a picture book has a lousy message, but I doubt very much that I'd be the only person to view this scene in the book with a slightly critical eye.

I mean, the illustrations are lovely, yes. Of course they are. Artist Henrike Wilson really does make Charlotte appear to be a very pleasant bundle of warm cuddly wool. She has a lovely little benign face that fits the story very nicely. But the fact is, I found the pictures in this bok to be far far nicer than the tale itself. So when it comes to nice sheep pictures, this book excels. When it comes to coherent sheep-centered plots, it's less than fabulous.

If you'd like an especially nice sheep-centered picture book, find yourself a copy of Rob Scotton's, "Russell the Sheep". Or Mem Fox's, "Where Is the Green Sheep?". Or books like, "Sheep In a Ship" or "Sheep In a Jeep". These are all fine and frolicsome sheepish affairs. "Brave Charlotte" is perfectly acceptable as a book but it simply does not hang together as a whole. It's fine but there are many far better sheep picture books out there to choose from. A secondary purchase at best.

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An engaging story of courage, November 4, 2005

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Brave Charlotte (New York Times Best Illustrated Books (Awards)) (Hardcover)

Anu Stohner and Henrike Wilson's Brave Charlotte tells of Charlotte, who's different from other sheep. She likes to explore her world and wander, while old sheep stick close to home and go for security. When danger hits the herd, only Charlotte is brave enough to go for help in this engaging story of courage.