The Sheep of the Lalbagh

by David Mark

A sheep lives in a special park in India and nibbles the grass in decorative designs until he is replaced by a lawnmower.

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, India

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1967

About the author

There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name. See also: David Mark

Reviews

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another childhood favorite with delightful illustrations. A sheep eats the park lawn in beautiful patterns and is a great pet for the people. When the mayor decides to modernize the town with a push mower the sheep leaves town and joins a herd. The mayor soon learns his mistake.

[Melki · Rating 5 out of 5]

In a large park, in a bustling city in India, lived a very special sheep. His name was Ramesh, and no one could cut the grass the way he did.



He was a star! People came to the park just to visit with Ramesh.



One day the mayor decided that having a machine to mow the lawns would make the city more "modern." But . . . what would become of Ramesh?

This was one of my absolute childhood favorites that was also enjoyed by both my boys. I loved the exotic looking illustrations by Lionel Kalish, and I could never resist a good story about a sheep.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my most favorite books as a child and all time! This book is now considered a vintage classic. Get your hands on it for your children or grandchildren if you can.

[Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This simple story is based in a large park in India that is a popular place to relax on a holiday. There are many attractions in the park and one of the most popular is the lawnmower, a sheep named Ramesh. While not fast, this mower cuts the grass very short and is capable of making designs. Ramesh also gives the smallest children rides and is comfortable being petted.
However, in the spirit of modernization, a machine is purchased to cut the grass and Ramesh is put out to pasture as part of a flock. This made Ramesh very sad and after a time, the people also missed him as well. They were so disappointed that they stopped coming to the park, leading to a desperate move by the mayor. He appoints a committee to go to the flock, find Ramesh and bring him back to the park. Once he is returned, the people come back to the park and Ramesh is happy to once again be a lawnmower in the park.
While the story is simple, the message is not. Progress often appears to be a valuable thing, only to discover that previously unconsidered consequences make it the wrong thing to do. The machine is of course more efficient at mowing the grass, but Ramesh is much more fun to look at and play with. This is something that children understand very well.

[Sasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I dare you to find someone who doesn't love Ramesh, the lawn-mowing, attention-loving, botanical garden-guarding sheep in the Lal Bagh of Bangalore, India. I loved this book so much, I had to get a copy for my sister-in-law, who is from Bangalore (and who ironically has an Uncle named Ramesh, but I digress). This is a beautifully illustrated tome about appreciating the simple things and compromising in such a way that they can still be enjoyed while ushering in new changes, and I really dug the message and theme.

[Jocelyn Rubinetti · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite children’s books. I have my sister’s book that was given to her in 1969. It is a beautiful read with poetic language and vivid illustrations. It’s become a favorite of my youngest daughter.

[Shmuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun story for younger kids

[Kest Schwartzman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute, sweet.

[RebL · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my book as a child and has been on Sophia's shelves for some years. She recently found it and showed it to Alex, and we've read it for the past few nights. He loves Ramesh!

2024 re-read: now-12YO Alex can't settle on a book so I pulled this one out and said, "Do you remember this book?" and he said "Ramesh!" So we read it at bedtime and it was perfectly charming as usual. Love the art. Definitely a keeper. I told him the Lal Bagh was a real park in Bangalore so he's interested in learning more about it and if it really has a sheep.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute story about how technology and progress combine with tradition in life.

[Rena Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favorite picture story books growing up in the 70s.

[Patricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fine tale of a sheep who cares for a park in India, who could have been displaced by a machine.

[Michael Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has an odd similarity to The Story of Mr. Nero.