Customer Reviews

Rainbow Sheep

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Length:: 1:46 Mins

Watch a brief video intro for Rainbow Sheep a picture book by Kim Chatel from Guardian Angel Publishing. Rainbow Sheep

This is the cutest little book! A sweet story about a sheep herder who tickles the clouds away and convinces a rainbow to cheer up--and gets a herd of rainbow colored sheep as a result. I'm lucky enough to have one of the author's felted sheep sitting right by my computer to cheer me on, and you can learn how to make your own--she's included instructions right in the back.

You will wonder at Ms. Chatel's felted illustrations--I never knew felting could be so versatile. From a hill-top view to a jungle scene to seahorses sporting in an underwater kingdom--it all jumps to life in full felted color.

This would be the perfect book for children, of course, but also for anybody who has a "crafty" side--the kids (or adults!) you buy all those tie-dye and beading kits for.

Rainbow Sheep is a wonderful book that children will want to read over and over again. The illustrations are absolutely beautiful. The colorful fiber art bring the story to life. I am looking forward to reading more of Kim Chatel's books in the future!

Featuring eleven wonderful "fiber art" illustrations (photographs of three-dimensional artworks sculpted from colored wool), Rainbow Sheep is a charming, flat-spined picturebook about a little shepherdess who cheers up a sad rainbow by telling him funny stories. When the rainbow's colors return along with its joy, its tears of happiness turn the shepherdess' flock into "rainbow sheep". A delightful story for young readers ages 4-10, Rainbow Sheep includes a brief glossary and instructions for basic felting and fiber art, so that children can partake in the joy of crafting things with wool for themselves. "Most craft stores don't stock wool roving or felting supplies, but there are many stores on the Internet for spinners and fiber artists. If you live in a rural area, you might find roving and felting supplies at local sheep farms. Stores that specialize in spinning will have roving and possibly felting needles too."

Rainbow Sheep is an original, sweet story about a little shepherdess called Genevieve and her flock of sheep.

Genevieve is troubled because it has rained so much lately that the sky is always grey. When she tries to get the attention of the rainbow, she sees that its colors have faded and that it is sad. It has lost its will to live and love, its passion for beauty and life. Only by regaining hapiness will the rainbow shine again in all its glory. But how will Geneive bring joy back into the rainbow's life? You'll have to read the story to find out, and also to find out how the little sheep end up being as brightly colored as the rainbow.

I found this to be an usual story with surrealist elements. Chatel's language is lyrical at times, blending beautifully with the soft fantasy elements of the tale. The story also has the tone and cadence of a legend. Another aspect I found most original is that instead of illustrations, Chatel uses sculpted wool to create the artwork. This technique is known as needle felting.

I found myself engaged all through the book not only with the story, but also with the interesting wool figures. The colorful little sheep will be loved by children and the underwater scenes are especially bright and lovely.

Rainbow Sheep is a great way to introduce kids to this new craft. At the end of the book, you'll find descriptions, demostrations, and a glossary on needle felting. This is a children's picture book that will be enjoyed by adults and children alike, and one that will make a valuable addition to any library or school bookshelf.

--Mayra Calvani, Midwest Book Review

This little book is so adorable. The ilistrations were a great inspiration for my craft group, we made the rainbow sheep with coloured wool roving, and felted a rainbow. Now we have more than a book to read to the children, thank you.

Genevieve is a shepherdess who keeps her sheep out on a flowered hillside overlooking a green forest with a gleaming ocean in the distance. The sheep include Gertie the trickster, Martha the good mother, Betty who jumps, and Tessa with the temper. One day, after a whole week of rain, when the sheep are grey and dirty brown instead of white, the rainbow appears, but it is very sad because it is lonely and bored. However, Genevieve has a big imagination, so she begins to tell the rainbow funny stories. Will she be able to make him happy?

Author Kim Chatel was born in Canada and now lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, daughter, and an assortment of animals. In addition to being a writer, she is also a photographer and a fiber artist. Rainbow Sheep has nine full-page fiber art illustrations that are warm and soft. Children will enjoy them. It also includes four full pages of "Felting for Fun" with instructions on how to make your own "rainbow sheep." Thus, the book gives two ways for parents to interact with their children. They can both read and craft together. I found this cute book really enjoyable and highly recommend it to parents with young children.

REVIEWED BY: Wayne S. Walker, Book Reviewer

Kim's book Rainbow Sheep is charming. It has the magic of a rainbow, wrapped in imaginative illustrations and woven together in a wonderful story. I love this book and I'm a big fan of her writing.

What do you do to cure a bored, lonely rainbow? In Kim Chatel's latest book, Rainbow Sheep, Genevieve the shepherdess tells him tales that tickle him into happy tears. Those colourful tears transform her flock from grey and dirty brown, into rainbow sheep.

The delightful illustrations in this picture book come from Chatel's own fiber art. There is a section Felting for Fun, after the main story, where Chatel explains how children can make a rainbow sheep of their own. What a great idea to combine the fun of reading with the joy of craft!

In a recent interview with Mayra Calvani of Blogcritics Magazine, Kim Chatel said "Sometimes it's hard to pick one voice out of the noise." With Rainbow Sheep, Chatel has proved she's one writer whose voice can rise above the flock.

Chatel has an instinctive understanding of what makes a picture book work. From the muted colours of the felted art work, to the gentle humour of the text, Chatel has presented the reader with a satisfying package. She uses simple, yet expressive, language - the clouds were heavy and grey, like the belly of a sleepy kitten, with her own deft touches of humour - the sheep were pleasantly steaming in the sun.

Quirky and delightful, Rainbow Sheep will be an asset to any school, library or home bookshelf. As a gift for a special child, it could begin a fascinating hobby. If you purchase Rainbow Sheep from Chatel's own web site, [...] , you receive a signed copy of the book and a felted sheep of your own. You can also link to a movie about felting and enter a children's short story contest.

Review by Susan Stephenson, editor Muse Marquee

"Rainbow Sheep" by Kim Chatel, a children's picture book, is brimming over with creativity, much like the rainbow in the story brims over with colorful tears of happiness. A young shepherdess named Genevieve tires of constant rain that falls from the sky for an entire week "like snakes slithering down the hill", making her sheep "muddy and cold". She takes matters into her own hands, climbing to the top of her hill which is "as tall as a castle spire" and tickles the clouds until they part and roll away. A rainbow appears, but its colors are pale because it's bored. Genevieve tries telling stories about the forest to the rainbow, but it's not impressed. Finally, Genevieve tells fantastic stories about the "kingdom of the mermaids" under the ocean. The rainbow's interested in that, and its colors brighten. Genevieve goes on to say that the mermaids have "fancy, masked balls where the sharks dance with the dolphins to the music of the whales." Then Genevieve tells about jousting seahorses. The rainbow smiles; then laughs so hard, happy, colorful tears spring from its eyes and color the sheep with its various colors. After that, people journey from miles around to see the "rainbow sheep", and they stay to listen to the shepherdess spin stories.

After the fictional part of the story, the author provides extensive instruction on how to make the type of felt artwork shown in the book, and includes information for various ages. This book is like two books in one, and well worth the purchase.

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