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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, www.kimchatel.com , 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.
-- Susan Stephenson
www.coffscoastwriters.com)
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Genevieve, the shepherdess sees the world through a wonderful imagination and positive attitude. Her sheep are the typical color of many sheep, grey and dirty brown. Until the day she happens upon a sad rainbow after she tickles the rain clouds away. To her bewilderment the rainbows colors have begun to fade. What can Genevieve do to awaken the rainbows happy thoughts and outlook on life?
“Look. She pointed to the ocean that gleamed in the distance. That’s the kingdom of the mermaids. Mermaids? asked the rainbow. A bit of its color returned.”
Genevieve soon discovers her stories about the places below brighten the world of the rainbow and make it happy. Genevieve continues on with her stories until the rainbow becomes so thrilled it laughs and cries at the same time. What happens next is simply magical, but you’ll have to read the book to find out.
Rainbow Sheep is accompanied with magnificent fiber art illustrations created by the author, Kim Chatel. For further enjoyment Felting for Fun Activities for Kids, a glossary, and fiber art information are also included.
--Reviewed by Donna McDine http://www.donnamcdine.com for the National Writing for Children Center
http://www.writingforchildrencenter.com
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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.
-- Wayne S. Walker for Stories for Children Magazine
http://storiesforchildren.tripod.com
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Genevieve is caring for her sheep on a rainy, yucky day. When a pale, sad rainbow comes to hang over her hill, Genevieve's imagination, and a few monkeys, mermaids, and seahorses make the rainbow smile and cry tears of laughter, turning her sheep into a herd of colors.
My daughters and I loved this book! Chatel adds the right amount of description and imagination to create a perfect children's book. The reader is immediately drawn to the story of Genevieve and her sheep as they slip and slide in the mud up to her hill where she tickles a cloud. Because Chatel chose to use words like "tattered", "sighed", and "shimmered" the entire story and its emotions are brought to life and felt by the reader.
A fiber artist, Chatel used 11 fiber art illustrations in Rainbow Sheep, which make for a unique and beautiful way to bring this story to life. And this book becomes interactive when the reader and her parents journey to the last few pages of the book, where they find information about felting and fun felt crafts to do together. Every young reader will find something to love in Rainbow Sheep.
--Cheryl Malandrinos at The Book Connection.
http://thebookconnectionccm.blogspot.com/2009/05/rainbow-sheep-by-kim-chatel-book-review.html
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Rainbow Sheep by Kim Chatel is a fantastic book! The story is creative, wonderfully unique and fascinating for children. The felt pictures are beautiful, and also very unique. I love this book and highly recommend it!
--Marilyn Peake, Author of Adult and Children's Literature
http://www.marilynpeake.com
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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.
-- Melissa Bach
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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! --Reviewer Carol Pas
Kim Chatel has come up with a most unique concept with this book. She turns the world of color on its proverbial heels. Who would ever imagine a rainbow, with its bright and vivid colors, ever being sad? Kim not only found one that was not happy but she found a little shepardess that knew the secret of infusing happiness. Her results are as colorful as they are surprising.
This is a wonderful book for children as well as adults. Her project at the end of the book is very instructive. I learned more about felt and how it is made than I would have expected. This is a good book for a family read as well as activity.
--http://berrysreviews.tripod.com/id63.html
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RAINBOW SHEEP, 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.
-– Marilyn Peake, Author,
http://www.marilynpeake.com
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*Rainbow Sheep by Kim Chatel inspired by Gena*
With the charming elements of sheep, a rainbow, and a very
imaginative girl named Genevieve, Kim Chatel brings this
delightful story to life. After enjoying this tale, you will
never look at rainbows the same way again. The book may have you
wondering if your new red wool sweater came from one of
Genevieve’s beautiful little sheep. Tickling clouds is a great
way to get little storm makers to drift away, and Genevieve is
an expert. I enjoyed all the magical creatures she invented, as
she painted vivid images in the yarns she told to the rainbow.
The laughing rainbow crying colorful tears gave the sheep a
unique look and made them famous. Kim’s adorable felted sheep
are very special and the craft instructions at the back of the
book, along with her video guide, are a must do activity to add
to the charm of the adventure.
This story is impressive, and it will be featured in a
television pilot for children that will promote the magic of
reading. Rainbow Sheep is the perfect example of the type of
book that is the best key to unlock our imaginations.
--Sue Thurman, Television Producer & Author