Ida and the Wool Smugglers

Ida's brother is big enough to help with the sheep runthe corralling of the sheep so they can be shornand Ida's baby sister is almost too big for her cradle. Ida thinks that she's the only one who isn't growing. Her mother sends her over to a neighbor's house with bread, where there has been no time for baking because a baby was born. But on the way, while she visits a ewe with twin lambs, Ida hears the low whistles smugglers use to signal one another. By starting a miniature sheep run, she moves them all to safety, showing her family not only that she is ready for the big sheep run next year, but also old enough to hold a newborn baby. Alderson's story is predictable; from the moment readers hear about the sheep run, they can be sure Ida somehow will prove herself and so there isn't any dramatic tension. Blades's illustrations offer brief glimpses of enchantment, revelling in the lovely Canadian setting of island farms and green sheep meadows. Ages 5-9. (March)