In this follow-up book to the successful The Quest of the Warrior Sheep, the herd hoofs it to Las Vegas in another epic adventure. Last time they saved the Sheep God. This time they have to save all of sheepdom. A strange monster called Red Tongue has threatened all Rams, Ewes, and Lambs, and the Warrior Sheep know it's up to them to stop him. But they have a crazy scientist following them, and Tod and Gran have been thrown in jail by an over-zealous sheriff. Can the Warriors stop the mysterious monster?
Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
Christine Russell has worked with her husband Christopher storylining and script editing their books. 'The Quest of the Warrior Sheep' was the first book they wrote together, and they went on to write three more titles in the 'Warrior Sheep' series.
Das Schafshoroskop hat wieder zugeschlagen. Dieses mal müssen sie sich der Teufelszunge stellen um die Schafsgemeinschaft vor einem Unglück zu retten. Dafür müssen sie über den großen Teich. Doch da ihnen ihr Ruf voraus eilt, sind solche Hürden für sie nur kleine Fische. Und so beginnt ein neues irrWitziges schafiges Abenteuer.
Ok first? This book is too cute! THE WARRIOR SHEEP GO WEST is a perfect title – the story is about a group of sheep (five, to be exact) who travel from the UK to the United States as warriors ready to defend all sheep-kind from the threat of Red Tongue.
Although technically the second book in a series I found it not necessary to read the first book before this one (it’s a good idea, mind, but you won’t be lost if you don’t) in order to understand what’s going on. The two stories seem very separate from one another but the authors provide some nice looks back to the first book in order to help the reader understand a bit more about why the sheep see themselves as Warrior Sheep. The five sheep follow the Songs of the Fleece (bible for sheep?) and when the warning from Red Tongue corresponds with a verse in the Songs, the sheep take notice and head right out.
Mind you, there are a great number of coincidences and sub-plots that help the sheep on their journey to defeating Red Tongue from destroying all sheep-kind, but that’s the fun of the story! Ida White and her grandson Tod are lured to America for their five rare-breed sheep (our warriors) and as soon as the plane touches down the crazy adventure begins. Our five sheep – Sal, Oxo, WIlls, Jaycey and Links – are chased to Las Vegas and back by the shifty Holly Boomberg and her scientist husband, though they are oblivious to much of the danger. Which obviously leads to much of the humour!
As the story unfolds we’re clued in to what and who Red Tongue exactly is, but are left in the dark as to why Holly Boomberg and her husband need the sheep. The mystery is revealed at the end amidst much hilarity, and the coincidences continue to a satisfying end. I think younger readers will fall in love with the five sheep (especially rhyming and rapping Links) and be pulled right into their adventure trying to stop Red Tongue and save the Rams and sheep-kind. Humourous, straight-forward writing will keep a young readers attention and the characterizations will help them connect and identify with the sheep, Ida White, Tod and even Holly Boomberg. All five sheep have such distinct personalities it’s easy to keep them all straight. THE WARRIOR SHEEP GO WEST is a wild romp of a middle grade that even older readers will enjoy!
While thinking how to review this I remembered a Facebook post from one of my friends describing a book review that one of their children had submitted at school. The title was "stuff happened". I won't plagiarise that review but if I was asked if I could describe the plot to this I will old answer "yes" and hope for no follow up questions.
This is book 2 in the series but it does try to be accessible even if it is also a little confusing. It should be a cute animal story with an adventure element. It is but it also has so many plot points and distractions that it was hard to follow at times. There a few worrying stereotypes amongst the characters while some of the hero characters also never really stood out.
I would find this hard to recommend as a series based on this book. It has a lot of appealing elements to certain ages and readers but the end result isn't one I feel would appeal to many. It is just a little too complicated.
Perfect for kids that are becoming more advanced in their reading abilities (age range 8+) the story is entertaining & funny & will allow kids to use their imagination the key characters are the sheep as you follow them on their adventures across the world 😊
+ a great wild west adventure + loveable characters + a naïve but kick ass, taking no prisoners granny + the world perceived through the eyes of a sheep
My Opinion:
The second installment of the Warrior Sheep series is as lovely as the first novel The Quest of the Warrior Sheep.
The sheep start their adventure in Eppingham farm where they receive the message that Red Tongue is slaugthering rams. At the same time Ida and Tod are invited to a convention in American to exhibit their rare breeds.
Little do they know that this organization is phony. The people behind this organization have a sinister plan. But the rare breeds are on their own quest and unaware of the danger.
Again the sheep dive head first into the quest believing that every coincidence is meant to be and a sign from Aries – the god of all rams. In their naïve and loveable way they find their own adventure and a way to save all sheepdom.
Although I was occasionally annoyed by the sheep in the first book, I thoroughly enjoyed them this time. Still, my favorite character is grandma Ida. She just loves live and takes things as they come without over thinking them. Maybe I should take a page out if her book :)
All in all, it is a beautiful, sweet and sheeply adventure.
Bottom Line:
A funny wild west quest with Ida, Tod and the Eppingham rare breeds for the young and those remaining young at heart.
What a fun book to read! Technically the second book in a series but not having read book 1, I wasn't at all confused or out of the loop having only read book 2. We are first introduced to these wacky sheep in Quest of the Warrior Sheep but in the beginning of The Warrior Sheep go West, we are quickly filled in on the personality traits and little quirks that make Jaycey, Sal, Links, Wills and Oxo so entertaining to read.
What I really liked about this book was how through a series of seemingly unrelated events these loveable sheep and their clueless human owners, travel thousands of miles together, thwart the evil plans of a mad scientist (or two) save the day and wind up back in the comfort of their English countryside - all without even realizing they were working together the whole time.
A quick read that I really think young readers would enjoy. Fun and lighthearted with a bit of mystery and suspense, The Warrior Sheep Go West is a book I would not hesitate to recommend to middle grade readers.
Although I didn't need to have read book 1 in order to read book 2, I think I'll buy myself a copy anyway to add to my home library. I can really see my daughter enjoying these stories in years to come.
This book was so adorable! I really think kids are going to love this! You can tell the authors have experience writing for tv because the story is so fast paced, just like a tv show.
All of the sheep have adorable personalities, but I have to say my favorite was Wills-the littlest and the smartest. He watched a lot of tv with his owner so knew about everything!
I liked that the sheep weren't so personified that they did things like drive a car. The hitched a ride or just snuck onto a bus. They only talked to each other, humans couldn't understand them. And the villain, Red Tongue, has a perfectly rational and funny explanation.
There was another villain besides Red Tongue, and sometimes her storyline got a little slow. But I never care much for the villain's point of view, so it might not bother others like it bothered me.
I think the book will appeal equally to boys and girls because there are great characters of both genders represented.
I would recommend giving this fun-filled adventure to any elementary schoolers in your life, and I think you will overhear lots of laughter as they read it.
Bleating sheep, big baddies, one mad scientist and his equally mad wife, and a prophecy are all part of what makes The Warrior Sheep Go West a ruckus of a good time. This is the second book about these rare, highly intelligent, and bad guy fighting sheep, but not having read the first book was no problem at all.
The reader is dropped right into the sheep’s English world and then quickly upended with them when they go to America. Right from there, the action and hilarious situations are non-stop. Middle grade readers will thoroughly enjoy how the five sheep just happen to be in very human situations: getting picked up in a convertible, taking a train to the Grand Canyon, hopping a bus to Vegas, and even 'relaxing' in a Vegas hotel.
The Warrior Sheep Go West is pure fun and the perfect book for readers who love a good time. Sal, Oxo, Jaycey, Wills, and Links will charm readers and animal lovers alike with their bold personalities and the ability to get into all kinds of trouble. I can only imagine that these warrior sheep have many adventures ahead of them and readers are going to love every single one of them.
I think I didn't enjoy reading it to my girls. This is the second time I've read a book by a British author in which the author attempted to script the speech of a black man. The first was Traveller by Richard Adams, a story about Robert E. Lee's horse. I don't think the Mr. Adams was trying to express any racism (nor do I think Mr. Russell was) but the awkward prose he used to reproduce African American speech made Traveller (black people) sound quite ignorant and dim-witted. The same for Links, a black sheep. Yep. The black one. He sounded so "street" and stupid, compared to his white companions, that I translated his raps and comments into generic English so that my girls wouldn't start asking about him. I don't mind hearing colloquial African-American dialect and speech mannerisms, but let it come from an author familiar in these and preferably, let it come from a black author or character.
I read this with my children and they laughed the whole way through!! The wooly adventures will make even the most jaded reader giggle. The coolest thing about this book was how real the characters felt when I was reading it to my little ones. I highly recommend this!
This is a cute fantasy in which a group of sheep go to Las Vegas to take on their enemy, "Red Tongue", but actually end up rescuing their owners. Middle-school students who like tongue-in-cheek humor and animals with human characteristics and abilites with like this one.
This book was kind of fun, but there weren't great values or anything. The people are just plain stupid and the sheep aren't much smarter. Some of the writing was a bit tedious. The American characters use British expressions, which is a little weird.
Again, like with the first book, I am not sure who the audience for these books would be. I love the sheep puns, but I think they would go over the heads of the intended middle reader audience.