Reviews: Sheep in Wolves' Clothing

This review first appeared in The Horn Magazine, July-August 1996 v72 n4 p450(1).

   In Satoshi Kitamura's silly take-off on the old maxim, the comic scenario begins as three endearingly goofy sheep, Georgina, Hubert, and Gogol, set off in Gogol's convertible for a day at the beach. There, four wolves playing miniature golf on the sand offer some advice:

"I don't want to be rude'" said one of them, but think of your beautiful coats! The salt water will ruin them.'"

   The trusting sheep slip out of their sheepskins (the boys cheerfully emerging in striped boxer shorts, Georgina in a white slip) and go for a swim,. when they return, their skins - and the wolves - are gone. Sounds like a case for Georgina's cousin, Elliott Baa, Private Detective, who eventually tracks the sheepskins to a seedy building where the wolves are operating - what else? - a knitwear factory. Total chaos erupts as a gang of rugby-playing cats in Elliott's employ make a fine mess of the operation.

   Full-page scenes filled with congenial clutter are interspersed with assorted vignettes of the jauntily cartooned characters. Younger children will delight in the climactic brouhaha and will also find this a satisfying mystery story. Older children will enjoy the detective story spoof and the new twist on the old sheep/wolves theme. The deft cartoonery is sure to tickle a wide audience.

By Margaret A. Bush.
Review Grade: A

The following German review's translation is not the best but it's been left as is because to change it would detract from its charm! The website (in German) where the review first appeared is concerned with child and youth literature.

   In the Kronenklauer Nr.17 we present picture books from the last year and this spring, which were particularly inspired. Pfiffige stories, unusual illustrations or successful figures were the deciding factors for our selection.

   Three sheep, Andrea, Werner and Gogol want to go swimming a last mark in this year. By captain Ahab achieve it the sea and, before they fall themselves into the tides, of four mini gulf playing wolves of it are reminded, their beautiful furs off to take, so that they are not ruined by the seawater. Naively the three for the good suggestion thank you and put their furs under the sun screen of the wolves. After the bath they place dismayed firmly that both the wolves, and their furs disappeared. Andrea has the idea, its cousin type of bending, a private detective, in order to ask assistance. After exact questioning it makes itself with them on the way by the city. On the way they discover a gang of young cats complicated in Wollfaeden and find so the trace to the company of "brothers Wolfgang cord goods ". There they meet the wolves of the beach, which unfortunately already converted their furs to wool. Type of bending and its friends leave the loading with a bag wool, after they devastated it only once thoroughly. Andrea, Werner and Gogol are content, their furs will regenerate, up to then carry them for sweater.

   One can arrange sheep in the wolf fur in the kind " modern fairy tale " in the Comic style. Turbulent, funny, predominantly illustrations held in dark, erdigen colours cover in each case the whole page. The text, partly in the form of speech blisters, isscarce, is limited to the substantial. Satoshi Kitamura hidden in its pictures many merry ambiguous details, also after repeated looking at will discover that/those BetrachterIn new. Its figures are outstanding characterized. A picture book to the Schmunzeln [amusement of the] young and old.

Translated by Rolf Inhauser.

This review first appeared in The Independent, Aug 19, 1995.

   A trip to the beach turns chilly for three sheep who leave their coats in the safe keeping of some double-crossing wolves. A rattling tale unfolds as the sheep (in boxer shorts and petticoat), Elliott Baa, Private Detective (in trench coat, fedora and shades) and a gang of alley cats track a wool- trail through seedy back streets to the hoodlums' knitting den. Imaginative, witty, stylish, this is a work of delightful detail and lasting pleasure.

By Sally Williams.