Lollylegs by Pamela Freeman illustrated by Rhian Nest James

Lollylegs was a gift from a friend and how I wish I had seen this book last year.  Our school has a spectacular school fete each year.  We do have a wonderful picture book called Our School Fete by Louise Pfanner which is actually based on our fete but I have always struggled to find other books which explore this type of community event.

Lollylegs is a lamb and she is set to be auctioned at the school fete.  Laura's dad brings the lamb home a few days before the big event and of course Laura falls in love with his cute face and soft wool.  Then she discovers that the winner might want to eat her lamb!  About one hundred tickets will be sold.  Laura urgently needs to raise money and buy those tickets.  She cleans, sweeps, washes and tidies but on fete day some of the tickets have already been sold.

Laura can't eat. She can't enjoy the fete. She is desperate to save Lollylegs.  Who will win?

Here is a set of teachers notes.  These are perfect beginning chapter books.  Each has three stories or three chapters, line drawings and a satisfying story by some of the best children's writers from around the world including our own Bob Graham.  Pamela Freeman is also Australian and I have talked about Victor's Quest and Cherryblossom and the Golden Bear in the past.  When you look at the review of Cherryblossom you will see a comment from Pamela herself!  You can also see the amazing Sonya Hartnett on this list with her story Sadie and Ratz.

There are thirty books in the Walker Book series and we have a few in our school library but for some reason we missed Lollylegs.

• Handa's Surprising Day - Eileen Browne
• Little Witch - Juliette MacIver
• Mr Tripp Smells A Rat - Sandy McKay
• Lollylegs - Pamela Freeman
• Our Gags - Catriona Hoy
• The King's Shopping - June Crebbin
• Happy Birthday x 3 - Libby Gleeson
• Robin Hood's Day - Josephine Feeney
• What Mona Wants, Mona Gets - Dyan Sheldon
• Glog - Pippa GoodHart
• Sylvie's Seahorse - Mara Bergman
• Nick Mack's Good Luck - Mara Bergman
• Parrot Park - Mary Murphy
• Sadie and Ratz - Sonya Hartnett
• Not Like Me - Marguerite Hann-Syme
• Ellie and Granny Mac - Elizabeth MacLennan
• Jack's Little Party - Bob Graham
• Leon Spreads His Wings - Wendy Lee
• Jake's Cave - Lou Kuenzler
• Grandad's Bench - Addy Farmer
• Toffee and Pie - Pippa Goodhart
• Nelson - Tor & Jude Freeman
• Drusilla and Her Brothers - Dyan Sheldon
• A Heart For Ruby - Franzeska G. Ewart
• Mia's Magic Uncle - Lindsay MacLeod
• The Lost Treasure - Jan Strandling
• Kasia's Surprise - Stella Gurney
• Comings and Goings of Parrot Park - Mary Murphy
• Drawing Together - Mimi Thebo
• My Dad, the Hero - Stella Gurney