The Lamb Gang Save the Loch Ness Monster: An environmental, accessible & dyslexia-friendly monster rescue story! (Early Reader)

by Safari Thomas, Clinton Banbury (Ilustrator)

Uncover the Extraordinary Adventure of the Lamb Join their Mission to Save our Planet!

When a mysterious MONSTER washes up on the shores of LOCH NESS in Scotland, the intrepid LAMB GANG jump into action on their first adventure. BOING! BOING! BOING!

The poorly monster is barely breathing, when a curious Clover realizes there’s something stuck in its throat. With the kiss of life out of the question (YUCK!), the Lamb Gang hatches an ingenious plan to save the monster before it’s too late.

NESSIE—for that is who it is—is saved. HURRAY! The famous Loch Ness monster then teaches her heroic friends about the harm caused to animals by PLASTIC POLLUTION and LITTER in our waters. And so, the Lamb Gang decide there’s only one way forward—by inviting children to clean up our VERY IMPORTANT PLANET and make it like new.

Children aged 4–8 will be delighted by this early learner chapter book in RHYME, which teaches the importance of the ENVIRONMENT and CONSERVATION.

“IF WE LOOK AFTER OUR PLANET, OUR PLANET WILL LOOK AFTER US.”

Experience the same sense of adventure as in Julia Donaldson’s books, such as The Detective Dog, with this curious and clever gang of lambs on their first mission.

The first in a series of 3 delightful environmental and conservation stories for children. Don’t miss out on this adventure and important message of The Lamb Gang save the Loch Ness monster.

86 pages, Paperback

Published June 24, 2024

About the author

Meet Safari Thomas 🐾

Children’s Author | Planet Protector | Lamb Gang Creator 🐑

Hello, I’m Safari, a children’s author, nature lover, and the proud creator of The Lamb Gang series!

I was born in the centre of the U.K. (some say Tolkien’s Middle-earth!), and once upon a time, I studied Law and earned my degree with honours. But it turns out I much prefer storytelling to law books. These days, I spend my time writing magical, meaningful tales that inspire young readers to care for our planet and its incredible creatures.

My stories are full of fun, friendship, and a little eco-magic, all designed to help children feel like they can be superheroes for nature. I especially love creating inclusive stories for early readers, including those who are dyslexic or reluctant to pick up a book. Every child deserves a story that speaks to them.

The idea for The Lamb Gang literally jumped out at me in a meadow on the shores of Loch Ness, where a group of cheeky lambs and a mysterious monster sparked the first adventure.

Since then, The Lamb Gang has been on a mission to look after the planet, one rhyming, rollicking rescue at a time! 🌎

🌿 Let’s raise a generation of little eco-heroes — one story at a time.

Reviews

[Georgia Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a delightful story with an environmental message for all children who read or listen to it. I chose to listen to the audiobook, which is not something I do often.

Nessie is worried about plastic in Loch Ness as she sets off to meet her sheep friends with their lambs. But she does not arrive. Twin lambs, Clover and Cloud, are taught, by their mother, to call for Nessie if they are ever in trouble. With their new friends, Buttercup and Toad, they make up the lamb gang and are soon the ones who come to the aid of Nessie instead.

I enjoyed the narration in this story. There is some rhyming throughout and, as you’d expect in a children’s book, some repetition. There is a strong anti-litter message throughout the story too, which came across well. Recommended.

[Barb Reinhold · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Loch Ness monster has washed ashore and is barely able to breathe. Fortunately, some intrepid
sheep known as The Lamb Game are on the scene to rescue him. It seems Nessie swallowed a piece of plastic litter that a human had thoughtlessly tossed into Loch Ness and which is now stuck in Nessie’s throat. Fortunately, the ingenious sheep are able to save Nessie’s life. Nessie tells his new sheep friends about the dangerous situation of humans thoughtlessly tossing waste and litter into water where marine animals like him live. This waste and litter causes a serious danger to the many marine animals who live in lakes, seas, rivers, and oceans. The members of The Lamb Gang listen attentively to what Nessie has to say and then decide that they need to take action to stop humans from discarding plastic bottles and other litter into Loch Ness and other bodies of water where marine animals live. The lambs decide to take on the task of teaching human children about the dangers caused by plastic bottles and other litter and ask them to help.

This is such a great book! It’s not just the storyline that leads me to say that. It’s actually everything about the book that makes it so great. The story is written in rhyme, and the illustrations and layout are very well done. The book includes links to websites where one can learn more about how individuals and businesses can take - and have taken - action to help stop plastic litter and pollution. It also has a glossary of Scottish words which are used in the book. I only wish that there had been books like this one that were published when I was a child.

[cinnamilk · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lamb Gang Save the Loch Ness Monster is a well-written story about a very important message: saving the planet and stopping littering in its tracks. The story follows a group of clever little lambs who manage to save the Loch Ness Monster from choking on a plastic bottle. Through this, they learn a powerful message: it is up to them to protect the planet and inspire others to do so as well.

With its rhymes and repetition, this novel is an engaging tool for teaching children the importance of taking care of their planet.

[Estell Nordberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book! The Lamb Gang is irresistibly charming, and their adventure on the shores of Loch Ness is both exciting and meaningful. The rescue of Nessie is cleverly written and wonderfully illustrated. Most importantly, the environmental message never feels forced; it grows naturally from the story and leaves young readers inspired. The dyslexia-friendly layout is a huge bonus. This deserves a spot in every classroom and family library!

[Little Bitts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Lamb Gang Save the Loch Ness Monster is not only a sort of silly story with cute illustrations of lambs and Nessie, it also shares a message of keeping the environment clean and doing your part to help the world. I liked that it included information at the end about how to be a helper. This would be a good book for early elementary aged kids.

Thanks to BooksGoSocial and NetGalley for an egalley of this book for an honest review.

[Queensley Snipes · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lamb Gang is adorable, and the way they solve the problem together is clever and funny. The moment they realize the monster is actually Nessie made us all smile. A great read with a meaningful message.

[Theediscerning · Rating 2 out of 5]

Proof that the best of intentions cannot guarantee the best book. This has some lambs getting together and cleaning up Loch Ness, because if the waters are getting too gunky and mucky and clogged with plastic for such an ancient critter as Nessie, they're certainly not good news for humans, lambs or anything else. The issue is, this is supposed to be dyslexia-friendly, and I seriously doubt that – we have words where the type size changes from letter to letter, we have a daft way of using bold font for words to stand out, and the whole thing is pretty much in narrative verse, where no two lines have anything like the same rhythm but crunch a rhyme in anyway, in a most annoying way. (Yeah – a bit like that.)

So while it may just be the adult me railing against the verse, I don't see the other problems I mention exactly helping anyone – it's not exactly what Barrington Stoke do with their texts, is it now? Now, someone with far too many letters after their name has come on board to say they approve, so I must be wrong, but I don't feel it helps much – and I stand my ground over the major irritant of the rhyming. I wanted a nice, charming whimsy about eco-minded animals showing us humans up, but got annoyed instead.

[Samuel · Rating 3 out of 5]

In The Lamb Gang Saves the Loch Ness Monster we meet the Lamb Gang on their first adventure. When they hear that a mysterious monster washed up on the shores of Loch Ness. the Lamb Gang immediately rushes to its rescue.

This is a cute debut and a welcome addition for preschool through early elementary school aged children. They designed the font and layout to support the needs of both the reluctant reader and those with dyslexia. This is an enjoyable debut

[Regina Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is everything I look for in early children’s fiction: fun, educational, and emotionally engaging. My child loved the rhymes and repetition, and we both adored the surprise twist when the monster turns out to be Nessie herself! The message about protecting our planet is beautifully delivered. It teaches responsibility without feeling preachy. Fans of Julia Donaldson will love it; we certainly did

[Leilani Morton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a gem! The dyslexia friendly formatting makes this book accessible to so many children who are often overlooked in mainstream publishing. The illustrations are lively, and the pacing keeps young readers engaged from start to finish. The story encourages teamwork, bravery, and environmental awareness, all wrapped in a fun adventure. Ideal for teachers, parents, and school libraries. I’ll be recommending this one widely.

[Smith Laureen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was surprised by how much depth this story packs in! The author blends humor, myth, mystery, and environmental awareness in such a clever way. Circe, Clover, Cloud, and the whole Lamb Gang make a fantastic group of young heroes. The Loch Ness setting feels magical, and the twist at the end had my child cheering out loud. It sparked a conversation about plastic pollution a sign of powerful storytelling.

[Linda Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This feels like the beginning of something special. The Lamb Gang’s first adventure is both entertaining and socially meaningful, the ideal combination for young readers. The endorsement from educational specialists is well deserved, and the writing style makes it easy to read aloud with expression. If more books are coming in this series, we’ll be first in line. A five-star start to what could become a modern classic for eco-conscious families.

[Ravenclaw Library Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Lamb Gang Saves The Loch Ness Monster by Safari Thomas is a great early reader book with an important message about enviromentalist issues that is accompained by some good artwork. I enjoyed this one and my nephew who has .learning difficulties loved the accessibility of the book.

[Alanna Fowler · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this even as a grown up, when the book comes out I’ll be telling everyone to buy it for their kids.