Mary Was a Little Lamb [Hardcover]

Gloria Rand (Author), Ted Rand (Illustrator)

Book Description

Age Level: 4 and up

A little lamb named Mary was left all alone in the middle of a big field. "Baa," she cried. "Baa, baa."

A mischievous little lamb named Mary makes friends with the children of Cranberry Island

Mary's mother has forgotten about her, but luckily the abandoned lamb soon finds a home with kindly Mrs. Paradise. Mary is a curious little animal. She loves to discover what the neighborhood children and their pets are doing.
But Mary's curiosity also gets her into trouble, especially with grown-ups. When something must be done about the wayward lamb, Mrs. Paradise comes up with a solution that makes everyone happy-even little Mary!

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

PreSchool-Grade 1–Feisty Mary is a newborn lamb abandoned by her mother on a deserted farm on Cranberry Island. Mrs. Paradise adopts her, and the islanders quickly become fond of the animal–until she becomes a nuisance, making marks on the porch of the one-room schoolhouse with her hooves, peeking in the windows and distracting the children, and leaving nose smudges on the panes. Mrs. Paradise finds the perfect solution: Mary is given to the mainland petting zoo, within easy distance of her admiring friends. Based on a true story, the text provides just enough detail to capture readers' interest, and the richly colored illustrations are expressive. The portrayal of the ever-curious lamb is wonderful. This book is an excellent choice for storytimes, perhaps coupled with the nursery rhyme itself.–Judith Constantinides, formerly at East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, LA
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

PreS-Gr. 1. Mrs. Paradise finds an abandoned lamb and takes it home. The wooly white lamb becomes a favorite on the island where she lives, especially with the children--perhaps too much of a favorite. Before long, Mary, as the lamb is named, is down at the dock greeting the island commuters and following the children to school. But Mary becomes a little annoying, distracting students with her high jinks. So Mrs. Paradise finds her a place at a petting zoo in Seattle, where Mary soon becomes the darling of zoo visitors, both mainlanders and those from the island. This is another welcome package from the Rands, who often base their books on real events, as they did here. The warm, appealing story works exceedingly well with the ink-and-watercolor artwork. The pictures are a delightful mix of images: sheep gamboling in the grass, close-ups of human faces, and the pixyish antics of Mary. There's a satisfying element to this that will bring children back for more than one read. 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: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR); First Edition edition (May 1, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0805068163
• ISBN-13: 978-0805068160
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 9.3 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.3 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,002,723 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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