THE SHEEP WHO HATCHED AN EGG: Review and Activity

by Rebecca J. Gomez

Story time will be a treat if you read the charming The Sheep Who Hatched an Egg by author/illustrator Gemma Merino. When Lola's extraordinary, soft wool all gets cut off, she patiently waits for it to grow back. But once it does, it is a fluffy, tangled mess! Lola doesn't want to do anything but hide until one day something that had been hiding in her wool helps her realize that her wool doesn't have to be sleek and smooth (or "pretty") to be extraordinary. The Sheep Who Hatched an Egg is a sweet friendship story with a subtle lesson about vanity. The text is fun, and the somewhat abstract, sketchy illustrations are a colorful delight.

READ: The Sheep Who Hatched an Egg by Gemma Merino

DISCUSS: Why do you think Lola's wool got so fluffy and tangled? Has your hair ever been as tangled as Lola's? What did you do about it?

DO: Create your own tangled-wool sheep! 

You will need:

Sheep image 

Paper 

Glue

Scissors

Yarn or string in any color

Crayons (optional)

Directions: Print the sheep image (or draw your own). Cover the wooly sections of the sheep with a generous amount of glue, avoiding the arms, legs and face. Cut a long section of yarn and arrange it in tangled swirls over the glued areas of the body. Use a shorter section for the head. Press the yarn down into the glue and let it dry. Color the arms, legs, and face once the glue is dried if you like.

Bonus motor skills activity: With your index finger, begin at one end of the yarn and follow the loops until you reach the other end. Was this difficult or easy? Did your finger get lost in all the tangles and loops?