Review - Lana Lynn Howls at the Moon

Lana Lynn Howls at the Moon
by Rebecca Van Slyke
illustrated by Anca Sandu
Date: 2019
Publisher: Peachtree Publishing Company
Reading level: C
Book type: picture book
Pages: 32
Format: e-book
Source: NetGalley

An adventurous sheep tries to take a walk on the wild side and encounters more than she expected.

Lana Lynn is an intrepid sheep. The other members of her flock are content to nibble grass in the pasture, sip water from the pond, and nap in the meadow. But not Lana Lynn. She wants... adventure!

So one night, when the moon is high and the other sheep are asleep, she finds a disguise and dashes into the wild woods to see what life is like as a wolf. It's fun to run through the wild woods, stay up very late, and howl at the Moon--but is life with the wolf pack everything it seems?

Rebecca Van Slyke's charming depiction of experiencing new things is accented by Anca Sandu's humorous illustrations.

(synopsis from Goodreads)

This book is actually far more amusing and entertaining than I thought it would be. From the first line (where Lana Lynn is described as "intrepid"), it's clear that this isn't your standard picture-book sheep.

Lana Lynn is a sheep who doesn't always want to do sheepish things. When the others want her to eat grass, sip water, or take a nap, she thinks those things are boring and responds with, "Fiddle-dee-dee! Not for me." No, what Lana Lynn wants to do is run wild, stay up late, and howl at the moon. Kind of like... a wolf. One night, she gets her chance when she finds a wolf costume conveniently tacked to the wall of the shepherd's hut. And Lana Lynn sets off on an adventure to run with a pack of wolves.

The whole idea of a sheep in disguise running with the wolves is deliciously dangerous. There is peril, but everything turns out okay for everyone involved. Lana Lynn's differences are actually her strengths, and the little black sheep (figuratively speaking, of course; she's actually white) ends up saving the day because she's different.

The illustrations are simple but effective. Some of the facial expressions on the wolves are pretty funny, too. They seem to know there's something "off" with the new member of their pack, but they can't quite figure out what that might be.

Overall, this is an amusing and heartwarming story about differences as strengths featuring some cute little sheep and some clueless wolves. I would definitely recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and Peachtree Publishing Company for providing a digital ARC.

Premise: 4/5
Meter: n/a
Writing: 3/5
Illustrations: 3/5
Originality: 4/5

Enjoyment: 4/5

Overall: 3.67 out of 5