DAVID AND THE LOST LAMB

Little David saves the day.

The biblical story of the shepherd in search of his lost sheep comes to life in this board book. Not to be confused with King David of the Old Testament, this young David proudly watches over his father’s flock each day. One morning a sheep in David’s flock wanders off, and David must chase off a hungry lion in order to save it. The story is originally told by Jesus in the Bible, but that framing device is removed here. In fact, nearly all religious allusion is absent save for the mention of a “nighttime prayer” at book’s end. Told in rhyming couplets, the story moves quickly and efficiently, though sometimes the text stretches the bounds of sense to achieve the rhyme: “Black, white, spotted, baa and bleat. / David loves the little sheep.” The illustrations employ a green, blue, and orange color palette and scratchy, thin lines that give them a busier feel than the round, cuddly, thick-lined figures little readers are accustomed to in board books. David’s father wears a kaffiyeh, and David has brown hair and pale brown skin.

A mostly effective translation of the popular parable.