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Little Lost Lamb
Date not stated
40 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 1945
127 people want to read
About the author
Golden MacDonald
11 books4 followersGolden MacDonald is a pen name used by Margaret Wise Brown.
Where the book's title page or cover indicates Golden MacDonald, please do not change to Margaret Wise Brown - per the Librarian Manual.
https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/2...
Where the book's title page or cover indicates Golden MacDonald, please do not change to Margaret Wise Brown - per the Librarian Manual.
https://www.goodreads.com/help/show/2...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews
December 28, 2018
I like this little story of a shepherd boy. He watches over his flock. What I like is that there is born a black sheep and there is no mention of this being something of shame. The boy loves this sheep as much as the others. He is more independent and does run off. Still, the shepherd goes looking for him in the night after he gets lost. It’ a story where the black sheep is important and not shunned.
This story redeems the black sheep. how lovely is that.
I do love the art. it reminds me of the Impressionist as it hints at what is there for some things and others it is more concrete. It reminds me of something in Switzerland where Heidi might be. It is close to nature.
It’s a quick story about caring for our world. I enjoyed this.
I had to go into the Free Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore to get this. I’m grateful they keep many more Caldecott books than my library does.
This story redeems the black sheep. how lovely is that.
I do love the art. it reminds me of the Impressionist as it hints at what is there for some things and others it is more concrete. It reminds me of something in Switzerland where Heidi might be. It is close to nature.
It’s a quick story about caring for our world. I enjoyed this.
I had to go into the Free Enoch Pratt Library in Baltimore to get this. I’m grateful they keep many more Caldecott books than my library does.
February 25, 2018
In extra boxes of children's literature my Mom gave me, so that I have our complete collection, a few must have belonged to my Dad. With a missing cat at present, “Little Lost Lamb” was not a tale for laughing. I was interested in the heart that must be in this worn hardcover, from 1945. I always inform myself about authors and illustrators. I learned Leonard Weisgard was an American whose whole family retired in Denmark. Golden MacDonald is an authoress I know and will be stunned my Dad owned, if this book is his. This is Margaret Wise Brown, using a pseudonym! I wonder why. This is a children's tale, the niche in which she is famous.
Her descriptions came from the viewpoint children want to know and she chose artists whose images depicted perspectives that were important to children. Are Leonard's pages ever enchanting and the most beautiful I could imagine! Every page has a unique touch I have never seen before, no matter how much art I have appreciated. I look at them and can't tell which style I can call them. They are fresh to me, or a class of his own. Except dim night pages, every scene projects like an utterly exquisite painting, compelling enough to be framed for a wall! Bravo!
It is a sensitive time to read tales, even fiction, about a lost animal or loved-one and good to read about them returning home safely. I dislike the implication that a mountain lion was close to the lamb and that the shepherd and his old dog looking again at night, is what retrieved him. It was the place where they had begun. Our cat has alerts everywhere and a tattoo. Most likely, if necessary: may Conan safely walk home when our snow melts!
Her descriptions came from the viewpoint children want to know and she chose artists whose images depicted perspectives that were important to children. Are Leonard's pages ever enchanting and the most beautiful I could imagine! Every page has a unique touch I have never seen before, no matter how much art I have appreciated. I look at them and can't tell which style I can call them. They are fresh to me, or a class of his own. Except dim night pages, every scene projects like an utterly exquisite painting, compelling enough to be framed for a wall! Bravo!
It is a sensitive time to read tales, even fiction, about a lost animal or loved-one and good to read about them returning home safely. I dislike the implication that a mountain lion was close to the lamb and that the shepherd and his old dog looking again at night, is what retrieved him. It was the place where they had begun. Our cat has alerts everywhere and a tattoo. Most likely, if necessary: may Conan safely walk home when our snow melts!
October 5, 2017
This might sound strange, but one of my favorite things about this book is the feel of its pages. The book is printed on these thin, translucent pieces of paper that make a delightful crinkling sound when I turn them. I also love that the paintings take up the entire recto side of each spread, filling them with these beautiful nature scenes. The use of color to portray the change from night to day is very effective, as is the arrangement of the text on the page when it talks about the sheeps “BAA” noises. I don’t know if this was intentional or not, but I thought the story could made a nice allegory for a human being’s relationship to Jesus Christ - it definitely would have been useful back when I was teaching religion to elementary school kids, whether the message was intentional or not. Finally, I was so pleased to learn something new as a result of this book - Golden MacDonald is a pen name belonging to none other than Margaret Wise Brown!
December 4, 2012
Written under the pseudonym Golden MacDonald, this 1946 Caldecott Honor winning picture book by Margaret Wise Brown is my least favorite of hers so far. While I loved Leonard Weisgard and Margaret Wise Brown's collaboration the following year for the Caldecott winning book "The Little Island," this book just didn't work for me. The story was way too long and boring. The book is about a little black lamb who wanders away from the flock and the shepherd, but is later rescued by the boy and his dog from a mountain lion and brought safely home. Recommended for ages 4-7, 2 stars.
July 6, 2017
I want a copy of this book but with it being an outdated book and one that is also more likely to be out of print that will be looking for a needle in a haystack. I am up for that challenge although more or less I will just need to put my sister onto the challenge at hand muhaha even if it may take years.
Anyway the story reminds me of another YA Vintage that was known as "Champ" since of the same background, the same "villain" and the same livelihood. With the exception of these two books there really don't seem to be much shepherd books but it makes them interesting to follow when you do come across them.
Although this book doesn't cover the same symbolic path as did the previous story of Lily it still is a charming story that can indirectly bring Bible virtues back to the forefront or you can even enjoy it as a book without any symbolism. Either way it does have a few lessons but nothing that is shoved right down your throat.
Second of all what caught my eye is the illustrations. First the story starts off in bright colors and with the type of illustrations commonly found in older works. The harsher lines are more rounded out somewhat at times giving a bit of a cartoonish touch while at other times lulling the work. From there the book slowly fades into non-color and grayish tone when it becomes night. But the most interesting part of the illustration was the way the mountains were added since they had so much holes and disconnections that at times they seemed a weird portion of sky. Not quite sure whether that means I like it or not.
All in all another great vintage story and one I am glad to say that I came across even if it was in slightly older years lol.
Anyway the story reminds me of another YA Vintage that was known as "Champ" since of the same background, the same "villain" and the same livelihood. With the exception of these two books there really don't seem to be much shepherd books but it makes them interesting to follow when you do come across them.
Although this book doesn't cover the same symbolic path as did the previous story of Lily it still is a charming story that can indirectly bring Bible virtues back to the forefront or you can even enjoy it as a book without any symbolism. Either way it does have a few lessons but nothing that is shoved right down your throat.
Second of all what caught my eye is the illustrations. First the story starts off in bright colors and with the type of illustrations commonly found in older works. The harsher lines are more rounded out somewhat at times giving a bit of a cartoonish touch while at other times lulling the work. From there the book slowly fades into non-color and grayish tone when it becomes night. But the most interesting part of the illustration was the way the mountains were added since they had so much holes and disconnections that at times they seemed a weird portion of sky. Not quite sure whether that means I like it or not.
All in all another great vintage story and one I am glad to say that I came across even if it was in slightly older years lol.
December 31, 2017
• 1946 Caldecott Honor Book •
The story is sweet, but I thought it was a little boring and I think that’s because the language is a little stiff. The illustrations are good, but I wish there had been more of a transition between day and night. The illustrations went from colorful for the day to black and white for the night with no in-between. There could have been some beautiful twilight art in there.
Nice little story though, and I like the religious undertones. Could be a good book for a religion or Bible study class.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
The story is sweet, but I thought it was a little boring and I think that’s because the language is a little stiff. The illustrations are good, but I wish there had been more of a transition between day and night. The illustrations went from colorful for the day to black and white for the night with no in-between. There could have been some beautiful twilight art in there.
Nice little story though, and I like the religious undertones. Could be a good book for a religion or Bible study class.
Materials used: unlisted
Typeface used: unlisted
September 16, 2013
This book loses some of the build-up it acquires by being hard to find once you actually sit down and read it. However, the fact remains that in an age where there were very few picture books, this book advanced the genre in the sweet tale of a young Shepard devotion to his entire flock, including the little black lamb of the title. What the story lacks in concept it makes up for in historical value and sincerity of sentiment.
February 2, 2013
There's nothing fancy about the narrative or the paintings, but this is still a satisfying story. This would be a very interesting book to read to young children to see how they process the elements like the straying sheep and the devoted shepherd.
June 24, 2018
Written under the pseudonym Golden MacDonald, this is a much more serious and realistic book than most of Margaret Wise Brown's books, but I really loved the sweet story, the poetry of the shepherd's song, and the stunning illustrations.
September 9, 2016
Caldecott honor
January 15, 2012
Review to come...
Special visit to the Minneapolis Central Library to view reference copy.
Special visit to the Minneapolis Central Library to view reference copy.
February 18, 2012
Caldecott Honor - 1946 - Seems more like a picture book than some others from this time period.
April 18, 2016
This is the story of a shepherd boy who loses his sheep and goes to look for it in the dark. While the illustrations are stunning and Caldecott worthy, the story is rather dull.
January 28, 2013
See my review at http://www.littlebooksontheprairie.wo...!
July 17, 2013
1946 Caldecott Honor
January 18, 2014
Genre: picture book, realistic fiction
This book reminds me of the Bible story of the lost sheep.
This book reminds me of the Bible story of the lost sheep.
January 18, 2014
This was a cute book, which teaches the importance of caring for each person. It will also stir your emotions.
Picture Book-Realistic Fiction
Picture Book-Realistic Fiction
September 28, 2014
I wasn't terribly smitten with this book but my 8 year old niece said she gave it 4 out of 5 stars so, my rating is actually hers.
August 4, 2016
Ah, the story of the black sheep. The illustrations are wonderful.
Read
December 18, 2016❤️❤️❤️❤️
March 2, 2020
The metaphor breaks down when you examine it.
This review originally published at http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-lo....
This is clearly a parallel to the Parable of the Lost Sheep. In the book, a shepherd boy has a bunch of white sheep and one black sheep. According to my research, black sheep are more common than I thought. It's a recessive gene, which would make the percentage about 25% if nobody cared, but white sheep are preferred so they're bred more often. The book says, "It was the black sheep born in every flock." Like there's always exactly one. Anyway, the book talks about where the flock feeds in different seasons, and then eventually they go higher in the mountains than before, and the book waxes on about how awesome this valley is. The shepherd boy cuts himself a whistle, and his dog is sleeping, and the black sheep wanders off. When everybody realizes he's gone, they look for him, but they can't find him. The mother sheep freaks out, the boy blows his whistle, and the dog looks for him, but the black lamb is having too much fun, so the shepherd gives up and takes his other sheep home, where they'll be protected by his neighbors at night.
But mountain lions live nearby, and the boy lies in bed and just freaks out and can't sleep. He wants to wait until morning, but he just can't get over it, and gets up and gets his dog and climbs the mountain in the dark. He can hear a mountain lion, but he's more worried about the sheep than himself. He goes up to the high valley where he was and there's a mountain lion there. His dog chases it away, and they find the little lamb and bring him down.
The only real sense this makes as a story is if you know of the Parable of the Lost Sheep and feel like it's actually desirable to risk your life (and your dog's life) for the life of a single sheep. The shepherd is explicitly a boy, though it's not clear exactly how old he is. The sheep is an actual sheep, and not even a particularly useful one at that (black wool was less desirable). And I've read "Where the Red Fern Grows"-- I know that in a battle of dog vs. mountain lion, mountain lion usually wins. Especially in the dark, in the mountain lion's territory. Nothing about this would be a good idea in reality. This is like the end of the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", where his dad says, "Indiana, let it go." It's sad, but he needs to move on with his life. The other sheep can't survive without a shepherd. Sure, there's other villagers who would take them in, and probably be happy to, but the metaphor really breaks down when the indestructible Jesus is replaced with a very mortal kid.
Despite that, I can't say it's really a bad message. It's not really a good message, either. It's mostly just bizarre.
Message: Sheep are worth risking your life over.
This review originally published at http://www.drttmk.com/books/little-lo....
This is clearly a parallel to the Parable of the Lost Sheep. In the book, a shepherd boy has a bunch of white sheep and one black sheep. According to my research, black sheep are more common than I thought. It's a recessive gene, which would make the percentage about 25% if nobody cared, but white sheep are preferred so they're bred more often. The book says, "It was the black sheep born in every flock." Like there's always exactly one. Anyway, the book talks about where the flock feeds in different seasons, and then eventually they go higher in the mountains than before, and the book waxes on about how awesome this valley is. The shepherd boy cuts himself a whistle, and his dog is sleeping, and the black sheep wanders off. When everybody realizes he's gone, they look for him, but they can't find him. The mother sheep freaks out, the boy blows his whistle, and the dog looks for him, but the black lamb is having too much fun, so the shepherd gives up and takes his other sheep home, where they'll be protected by his neighbors at night.
But mountain lions live nearby, and the boy lies in bed and just freaks out and can't sleep. He wants to wait until morning, but he just can't get over it, and gets up and gets his dog and climbs the mountain in the dark. He can hear a mountain lion, but he's more worried about the sheep than himself. He goes up to the high valley where he was and there's a mountain lion there. His dog chases it away, and they find the little lamb and bring him down.
The only real sense this makes as a story is if you know of the Parable of the Lost Sheep and feel like it's actually desirable to risk your life (and your dog's life) for the life of a single sheep. The shepherd is explicitly a boy, though it's not clear exactly how old he is. The sheep is an actual sheep, and not even a particularly useful one at that (black wool was less desirable). And I've read "Where the Red Fern Grows"-- I know that in a battle of dog vs. mountain lion, mountain lion usually wins. Especially in the dark, in the mountain lion's territory. Nothing about this would be a good idea in reality. This is like the end of the movie "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade", where his dad says, "Indiana, let it go." It's sad, but he needs to move on with his life. The other sheep can't survive without a shepherd. Sure, there's other villagers who would take them in, and probably be happy to, but the metaphor really breaks down when the indestructible Jesus is replaced with a very mortal kid.
Despite that, I can't say it's really a bad message. It's not really a good message, either. It's mostly just bizarre.
Message: Sheep are worth risking your life over.
January 15, 2023
This is an age-old story about a shepherd boy who is keeping a watch over his flock when the black sheep of the lambs goes missing. Little Lost Lamb (1945) by Golden MacDonald and illustrations by Leonard Weisgard is a common stories, but the illustrations make it worth the while. I only wish it had been filled with more conflict. There were moments when I thought it would go further with situations or issues, but then it was an easy out/fix which disappointed me, making the story kind of dull. The highlight here are the illustrations by Weisgard and for some elements of a poetic nature. My rating - 3/4
October 24, 2021
Contemporary realistic
1st-3rd grade reading level
While this book doesn't deal with a specific time period, it perhaps should be labeled historical fiction because it deals with a shepherd boy and his flock. While there are still shepherds, it isn't the same kind of widespread activity that it used to be. I thought this was a sweet story with a relaxing feel, despite the stress of losing a lamb. The language and the illustrations both, though, seem a product of their time and might not carry so well with children today.
1st-3rd grade reading level
While this book doesn't deal with a specific time period, it perhaps should be labeled historical fiction because it deals with a shepherd boy and his flock. While there are still shepherds, it isn't the same kind of widespread activity that it used to be. I thought this was a sweet story with a relaxing feel, despite the stress of losing a lamb. The language and the illustrations both, though, seem a product of their time and might not carry so well with children today.
November 25, 2024
The story is okay but the illustrations are sub par for a Caldecott Honor Book. On one page, readers are encouraged to cut out and frame the picture!! After reading 100s of picture books it’s the first time I’ve seen that!
March 5, 2024
Even if you are different and like to go about things your own way, you never leave anyone behind. This book shows the depth of love and determination of friendship.
September 7, 2023
Traditional Literature
K-3rd
This is a take on Jesus's parable of the lost sheep. This is a simple book, but I liked it. There isn't much to the plot, but there doesn't need to be because it is encouraging thought into a deeper theme. The pictures are excellent and really make the little black sheep come to life. His feelings (and those of the other characters) are communicated through both the words and images in the book. This would be a great book to teach kids how much our Shepard loves and cares for us.
K-3rd
This is a take on Jesus's parable of the lost sheep. This is a simple book, but I liked it. There isn't much to the plot, but there doesn't need to be because it is encouraging thought into a deeper theme. The pictures are excellent and really make the little black sheep come to life. His feelings (and those of the other characters) are communicated through both the words and images in the book. This would be a great book to teach kids how much our Shepard loves and cares for us.
February 27, 2012
1946 Caldecott Honor
Favorite illustration: The title page with the black lamb and the wild flowers
Favorite line: "High in the mountains where the green grass ends and the snow begins the shepherd was singing."
Kid-appeal today: This was written under a pseudonym for Margaret Wise Brown, whose work I often adore but I found this story rather boring. The illustrations didn't appeal to me very much either and found them in many instances dark and dreary. I guess I expect my animal books to have a little more fun or whimsy in their imagery.
Favorite illustration: The title page with the black lamb and the wild flowers
Favorite line: "High in the mountains where the green grass ends and the snow begins the shepherd was singing."
Kid-appeal today: This was written under a pseudonym for Margaret Wise Brown, whose work I often adore but I found this story rather boring. The illustrations didn't appeal to me very much either and found them in many instances dark and dreary. I guess I expect my animal books to have a little more fun or whimsy in their imagery.
October 30, 2023
A black sheep is born into a flock of white sheep. The sheep goes off and does its own thing without even realizing it is lost because it is having so much fun. But the shepherd boy can't sleep at night because he can't stop thinking about the lost lamb.
I liked the old pictures and the innocence of the story, and I really liked the black lamb.
I liked the old pictures and the innocence of the story, and I really liked the black lamb.
March 14, 2015
Made me think of the parable of the lost sheep
April 19, 2015
Pretty boring, and in some of the pictures the sheep look more like hippos than sheep.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 30 reviews