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WORK TITLE: One Wise Sheep
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CITY: Berlin
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COUNTRY: Germany
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CAREER
Writer, screenwriter, and playwright. Has acted in and directed stage plays.
WRITINGS
Author of stage plays for adults and children in German.
SIDELIGHTS
Ulrich Hub is a German writer, screenwriter, and playwright. He has also acted in and directed stage plays. Hub’s plays are written for both adults and children. In an interview in Parrot Street Book Club, Hub talked about his approach to writing. He shared: “I try to talk about subjects like fear, life and death in such a simple way that every child can easily understand—and even laugh at them too. As an author, nothing makes me happier than hearing the laughter of children—and adults. Laughter requires empathy. There is comedy in the darkest places, which is where it’s needed most.”
Meet at the Ark at Eight is the first young adult novel Hub published in English. Three penguins relate their experience of living through the tale of Noah’s Ark by asking theological questions. The two penguins that were chosen to board the ark snuck their friend aboard in their suitcase. Once aboard, they reflect on a range of issues, from guilt and judgment to the existence of Heaven and nature of God.
A contributor to Publishers Weekly commented that the book is both “delightful and deep.” In a review in School Librarian, Julia Etheridge called the book “a touching, witty and thought-provoking story that will stay with you.” Writing in School Library Journal, Susan E. Murray opined that Hub and Muhle’s “comic style works well with the silliness, but it doesn’t suit the seriousness of the subject matter.”
With Duck’s Backyard, a duck with a bad leg wishes to have more friends. The duck does not even like going out because of its condition. A blind chicken that wanders into the duck’s backyard tells the duck to bring it to a “place where all our secret wishes come true.” The two accomplish many things together and form a special friendship.
Writing in Foreword Reviews, Vivian Turnbull stated: “Lyrical and rhythmic, this fast and urgent story is bold about examining the rocky parts of relationships.” Turnbull noted that the “illustrations add an additional layer of charm.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor insisted that “this deceptively simple book’s philosophical tone and sophisticated vocabulary make it ideal for older, practiced, and thoughtful readers or listeners.”
In One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story, a group of sheep are frightened by a bright star and worry about where the shepherd went. A goat tells them about a great feast to be held, and the sheep change their focus. The sheep travel to the feast but frequently get lost and have to circle back to pick up stragglers.
A Children’s Bookwatch contributor called it “original, clever, and a fun read from cover to cover.” The same reviewer said the book “is especially and unreservedly recommended.” A Kirkus Reviews contributor labelled it “a Christmas tale to hold the whole family spellbound.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly found it to be a “unique and sweet holiday tale.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Children’s Bookwatch, December 1, 2024, review of One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story.
Kirkus Reviews, June 15, 2022, review of Duck’s Backyard; August 1, 2024, review of One Wise Sheep.
Publishers Weekly, August 20, 2012, review of Meet at the Ark at Eight, p. 67; July 29, 2024, review of One Wise Sheep, p. 62.
School Librarian, March 22, 2016, Julia Etheridge, review of Meet at the Ark at Eight, p. 38.
School Library Journal, May 1, 2013, Susan E. Murray, review of Meet at the Ark at Eight.
ONLINE
Foreword Reviews, https://www.forewordreviews.com/ (September 1, 2022), review of Duck’s Backyard.
Gecko Press website, https://geckopress.com/ (September 21, 2022), Stefan Schugt, “Duck’s Backyard: Q&A with Ulrich Hub;” (August 19, 2024), “Ulrich Hub Q&A: One Wise Sheep.”
Parrot Street Book Club, https://www.parrotstreet.com/ (February 13, 2023), “Ulrich Hub on Duck’s Backyard and Children’s Books in Translation.”
Ulrich Hub is a German writer, actor, director and screenwriter. He has written several plays for children as well as for adults. Meet at the Ark at Eight is his first novel, and has won prizes in Germany, France, The Netherlands and Italy. Ulrich lives in Berlin.
Duck’s Backyard: Q&A with Ulrich Hub
Posted September 21, 2022 by Gecko Press
Ulrich Hub © Stefan SchugtUlrich Hub trained as an actor and now lives in Berlin, Germany. He works as a director for stage and writes plays, screenplays and children’s books, which have won numerous awards.
What inspired the story of the blind chicken and the duck with a limp?
When we use these phrases in German we don’t think about real animals but of human beings. A duck with a limp is a person who is quite slow and extremely boring, a blind chicken is someone incompetent, who has unexpected success by sheer luck. When I decided to take these expressions literally, I suddenly had two birds with real disabilities. The question was, how could they overcome their disabilities and become a really good team.
duck and chicken arguing (c) Joerg MuehleWe find this story funny and philosophical. What is important to you about this book?
First of all, thank you for suggesting the term philosophical. If you could see me now I’m blushing— like the duck in my story often does. Because if you asked any of my friends to describe me, they would come up with a lot of words—but no one ever would describe me as philosophical. Actually, I found out recently, that someone said I would rather lose a friend than miss the chance to make a joke. At first, I felt furious, because friendship has such a high value in my books as it does in life, and I was eager to find out who that person was. But then I said to myself, “Don’t take yourself so seriously.” Nobody is perfect, but a good sense of humour always helps.
Do you think it’s hard to write humour for children, and do you think there is enough of it in children’s books?
Humour is essential for me. I don’t write any differently for children or adults. Often laughing is the only way for me to handle an intense situation. We Germans tend to be too serious, and comedy is not so highly regarded. Often enough, laughing and weeping merge into one another. We laugh when we feel like crying and we burst into tears while we laugh. The story about these two birds is both—in my eyes.
The epigraph in this book is “The goal is in the way”. What does that mean to you? It is kind of back to front?
It’s an old proverb and more commonly used in my language. Essentially, the proverb implies that the goal or destination is not as important as the metaphorical journey taken to get there, and that the experience gained is the true reward. But if you put the words in a different order, a possible meaning can be that these two birds—especially the chicken—are in such a hurry that they overlook the destination, and the longer the journey takes, the more they forget about the goal. That’s my interpretation, but I don’t object if others see this differently—even if they think that it’s just nonsense.
What role do Jörg Mühle’s illustrations play in the story?
Duck’s Backyard is our fourth book together and I couldn’t think of anyone better than him to illustrate my characters. He’s totally independent and always brings the story to another level. Usually, I send him the first draft, he begins to draw, and then we meet in person—but only once, when I get the chance to have a look at his sketchbook. Last time I saw a huge variety of all kinds of ducks and chickens and I could pick my favourites—this was quite hard, because each one was so special. Then he withdraws himself, doesn’t respond to any of my emails and doesn’t even answer any calls from our editor. At a point when we all get really nervous, he finally reveals these amazing drawings, so funny, loveable and unexpected—with so many details that even now I am still finding new things to see.
Do you recognise your story in translation? What were the difficulties and joys of reading it in English?
Gecko Press and especially Helena Kirkby did an amazing job. I don’t think that anything has been lost and the humour of the original is all still there in English—sometimes it feels for me as if it’s even funnier. In the end the chicken feels “like going to paradise”—that’s exactly how it feels for me.
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Ulrich Hub Q&A: One Wise Sheep
Posted August 19, 2024 by Gecko Press
Ulrich Hub trained as an actor and now lives in Berlin, Germany. He works as a director for stage and writes plays, screenplays and children’s books, which have won numerous awards. His previous books include Meet at the Ark at Eight and Duck’s Backyard.
His new book, One Wise Sheep, is a comic retelling of the nativity story from the point of view of the sheep, in which the flock go looking for their lost shepherds—and the rumoured newborn child—in an adventure-filled nighttime hike across country.
First the Noah’s Ark story in Meet at the Ark at Eight and now you have a new interpretation of the Christmas story—is nothing sacred to you?
I’m suspicious of anything that’s supposed to be sacred. On my bookshelf, the Bible sits alongside Grimm’s Fairytales, the Greek myths and One Thousand and One Nights. These books are all packed with fantastic stories and characters based on a crucial question: what do we believe in? Whom do we believe? And why? The answer, obviously, doesn’t have to be a God or a church.
What do you believe in?
To be honest, I was never entirely convinced that Jesus was a member of God’s family and could turn his cross into a flowerpot with a single word. But nobody could possibly object to his message: “Be a bit kinder to one another, forgive your enemies, and welcome everyone—especially children.” Christmas is a bit of a damp squib for me nowadays, but its message is spot on: “Fear not.”
Why did you choose to tell the story through the eyes of the sheep?
I’d always been struck by the fact that sheep—who have a starring role in every Nativity story—don’t appear in the New Testament. The shepherds in the fields are just told, “you’ll find the baby wrapped in swaddling clothes,” and they set straight off. There’s barely a mention of a crib or a stable, and no mention of an ox or an ass. So the baby could just as easily be lying in a shoebox under a motorway bridge.
Did you take inspiration from sources other than the Bible?
While writing this book, I read my unfinished manuscript aloud to children at schools in Berlin and chatted with them afterwards. This had a significant influence on the finished story.
I also like Pieter Bruegel’s picture The Census at Bethlehem, which depicts a Flemish village. The artist captures the reaction of his contemporaries to the arrival of Mary and Joseph—they don’t realise what’s going on because they’re all busy with other things: eating, counting their money and having snowball fights. If this story is still supposed to speak to us, it has to be relevant to all eras.
What is One Wise Sheep trying to tell us?
First and foremost, it’s supposed to entertain children. However, it’s also important that the sheep just blithely set off, and then end up missing the actual event—because they keep on waiting for one another and even take the last one under their collective wing. This kind of care for others has become less evident in recent times.
Why do the sheep think that the newborn baby is a girl?
Isn’t it striking that all saviour figures in our culture are male? Even among modern superheroes, there’s barely a single woman. The sheep also wonder why that’s the case. In the playscript of the story, the question as to whether girls are cleverer than boys is discussed in much more detail—something that causes quite a stir with the audience. When a sheep said in a recent production: “Girls are never going to save the world. They’re too—” a child shouted out: “Watch what you’re saying!”
Why don’t the sheep have names?
They do have names—the sheep with the side parting, the one with the bobble hat, the one with the retainer and so on. If I’d given them “proper” names, gendering them would have been unavoidable. So children can decide for themselves which sheep are girls and which are boys. To judge by my experience of reading the story to children, opinions vary wildly—which is fantastic.
How does your collaboration with Jörg Mühle work?
I send him regular first drafts, and he then starts to work on the illustrations. Jörg Mühle’s figures are the perfect mixture of delightful and completely anarchic. When I visited him in Frankfurt, he allowed me to look in his sketch book—there were at least 500 different sheep in it. You could have made a sheep museum of them! He let me choose the sheep I liked best.
You obviously enjoy humour in children’s books…
Humour is essential for me. I don’t write any differently for children or adults. Often laughing is the only way for me to handle a desperate situation. We Germans tend to be too serious, and comedy is not so highly regarded. Often enough, laughing and weeping merge into one another. We laugh when we feel like crying and we burst into tears while we laugh.
A last word about the last sheep?
The last sheep is obviously an outsider and has no friends. That may well be because its comments are never very constructive—this sheep is a serious curmudgeon. During the story its pride is wounded, so it decides it’s not going to believe in anything other than its own judgement. No wonder the sheep immediately finds itself in a life-threatening situation on a rock with wolves below.
The last sheep seems a bit of a Peter character—Peter, by the way, meaning “rock”. When the sheep feels under pressure, it denies the infant and then betrays it. However, its friends forgive it in the end.
None of the other sheep realize that, thanks to a happy misunderstanding, the last sheep saves the newborn baby. So in retrospect it was critical that one of the sheep left the group. Not least because this one is responsible for the rumour that the sheep were there at the very start. A very successful rumour, as we know today. But that all sounds a bit too conceptual for my liking…
What’s wrong with being conceptual?
A concept always comes to an end—when the story does.
Ulrich Hub on Duck's Backyard and children's books in translation
Feb 13, 2023
Duck's Backyard by Ulrich Hub. Book cover and author photo.
This month we are sharing something a bit different with our Parakeet subscribers. Duck's Backyard was originally published in German. It's a fun, quirky adventure with two compelling characters and a strong message for young readers. It's also beautifully presented with colour illustrations throughout. It's thought-provoking, surprising and perfect for reading together - it made us laugh out loud in places! We are delighted that the author, Ulrich Hub, was able to answer a few questions for us. Here he tells us more about the translation process and what inspired the book in the first place.
What inspired you to write Duck's Backyard?
The attempt to tell an exciting and moving story with only two characters, set in a single place and told without any shifts in time— i.e. a story that lasts the same time as it takes to read the book aloud.
Were you involved in the translation process? What were the challenges?
The challenges were for the translator and the publisher. The phrase “lame duck” in the original title is a political term in the United States so was an unhelpful association for the duck! So they found a new title. They also had to decide on a gender for the duck—which is gender-neutral in German. I am really enthusiastic about the translation and even find the story funnier in English. Some of the punchlines work better because the sentences are shorter in English.
What message would you like young readers to take away from the book?
Fears are simply part of life. They spur some people to perform; for others they can be paralysing. The duck with the wonky leg sees danger everywhere and only feels safe behind high walls, while the blind chicken is afraid of nothing in the world—less a sign of courage than of delusions of grandeur. Luckily, the chicken finds someone who slows her down a little. In reading the book, children can experience how handicaps and obstacles can be overcome together. I myself have experienced time and again that our wishes change over time. Children also experience this at an early age.
Who would you say you are more like, the duck or the chicken, and in what ways?
Difficult question! I can't answer that myself. That’s why I asked my characters. The duck says I am just like the chicken: impatient, megalomaniac—but the chicken claims I have much more in common with the duck than I would like. In short, they both firmly deny any resemblance to their author.
Why do you choose to write books for this age group?
I don't think of any particular age group when I write. I try to talk about subjects like fear, life and death in such a simple way that every child can easily understand—and even laugh at them too. As an author, nothing makes me happier than hearing the laughter of children—and adults. Laughter requires empathy. There is comedy in the darkest places, which is where it’s needed most.
What was your favourite book as a child?
I read nothing but Donald Duck. My parents were desperate. While writing this, I realise for the first time that Donald is a duck too.
Do you have a favourite place to write?
I wish I could say my desk, but unfortunately that isn’t the case. For one and a half years my two characters haunted me 24/7. They were constantly on my mind, everywhere I went, but every morning at 10:00 at my desk, the duck and chicken were no-shows, just like children skipping class.
Which other German books for younger readers that are available in English would you recommend our subscribers read next?
To answer in an unbiased way, I again asked my two characters. This time, the chicken and the duck surprisingly agreed and both suggested their next adventure: Duck’s Swimming Pool. In the sequel, they go to the outdoor pool together for the first time, but right at the entrance there are problems. The pool is for ducks only. But a blind chicken is not so easily turned away, and the longer she stays, alone among hundreds of ducks at the pool … but I don't want to give away the ending here, before the book is even translated.
A note from Gecko Press: If you can’t wait for Ulrich’s next book to be available, try his first book in English, Meet at the Ark at Eight!, which is also illustrated by Jörg Mühle. We also recommend Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner—still excellent after all these years—and Andreas Steinhofel’s The Pasta Detectives.
TEHRAN -- The Mostaqel Theater Troupe by Iranian director Maryam Kazemi will stage the play "Meet at the Ark at Eight" in Tehran's Honar Hall this week.
The play is based on the debut novel of German writer Ulrich Hub, who has written several plays for children and adults.
"Meet at the Ark at Eight" has won prizes in Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands.
The novel has been translated into Persian by Hossein Fadai from the English version translated by Heinar Piller, the founding artistic director of the Grand Theatre Company in London.
The story centers on a pair of penguins who hear that a great flood is coming to destroy the earth, and they are the only two penguins who have been chosen to board Noah's Ark. They decide, however, to smuggle their friend aboard in a suitcase, and a wild forty-day journey ensues.
Hossein Moheb Ahari, the prolific stage and screen actor who passed away in January after a lengthy battle with lymphoma, had previously been selected to play a role in the play. Asghar Hemmat will fill in for him in the production.
Actors Ali Forutan, Hamid Goli, Mehrad Zamani and Hassan Hemmati are other members of the cast.
The play will also be onstage during spring.
Photo: A poster for "Meet at the Ark at Eight" by director Maryam Kazemi.
RM/MMS/YAW
[c] 2019 TehranTimes. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. ( Syndigate.info ).
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"Children come to 'Meet at the Ark at Eight' in Tehran." Tehran Times [Tehran, Iran], 10 Mar. 2019. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A577841005/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=0e568065. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
HUB, Ulrich. Meet at the Ark at Eight. tr. from German by Helena Ragg-Kirkby. illus, by Jorg Muhle. 72p. Eerdmans. 2012. RTE $12. ISBN 978-0-8028-5410-0. LC 2012001411.
Gr 3-6--When a small penguin sees a yellow butterfly in the ice and snow, he thinks he should kill it, while his friends believe God will punish him if he does. They argue, and the smallest one stomps away. It is at this moment that a dove approaches the two other penguins. They have been chosen to be saved from the biblical flood by getting on the ark, but they don't want to leave their friend behind, which breaks the dove's strict rule. Some silliness ensues as they endeavor to sneak the third penguin onto the ark and keep him hidden. Can there really be three penguins who survive the flood? Hub tries to combine religion and humor in this story, and it seems forced. It doesn't help that the smallest penguin continues to question God's existence, even in the middle of the flood. There doesn't seem to be one clear theme here. The penguins ultimately hide the extra penguin from Cod. The dove does God's bidding, but is stressed by the responsibility. Muhle's spot illustrations add charm and personality to the characters. Their comic style works well with the silliness, but it doesn't suit the seriousness of the subject matter. The format and length seem appropriate for young chapter book readers, but the complex religious questioning is aimed at older readers. This one will have a difficult time finding an audience.--Susan E. Murray, formerly at Glendale Public Library, AZ
Murray, Susan E.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2013 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/
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Murray, Susan E. "Hub, Ulrich. Meet at the Ark at Eight." School Library Journal, vol. 59, no. 5, May 2013, pp. 112+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A328418664/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=57b90435. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Hub, Ulrich
Meet at the Ark at Eight!
Translated by Jorg Muhle
Pushkin, 201 5, pp64, 6.99 [pounds sterling]
978 1 78269 087 0
This is a sweet and unusual tale, a retelling of the story of Noah's Ark from the viewpoint of three troublesome penguins and an officious if forgetful dove. The story begins with the penguins fighting and bickering on the snow and ice: 'You stink' says the first penguin. 'So do you' replies the second. An unusual event, the landing of a butterfly, sparks a comment about God that turns into a philosophical conversation about His existence and heaven and punishment. Then the dove makes an appearance to announce the impending flood and invite two of the penguins to join the ark. What ensues is a comic farce as the three penguins try to fool the dove by pretending to be one less in number in order to stay on the ark. Add to that what could be seen as divine intervention from inside a suitcase and you have a surprisingly funny story. Not the most likely content for a children's book, in terms of the questions posed by the characters about God and belief, it is nevertheless a touching, witty and thought-provoking story that will stay with you.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 The School Library Association
http://www.sla.org.uk/school-librarian.php
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Etheridge, Julia. "Hub, Ulrich: Meet at the Ark at Eight!" School Librarian, vol. 64, no. 1, spring 2016, p. 38. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A448568568/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=e30f2152. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Meet at the Ark at Eight
Ulrich Hub, illus, by Jorg Muhle. Eerdmans, $12 (72p) ISBN 978-0-8028-5410-0
Hub's standout debut in English, a quirky rendition of the story of Noah's Ark, is narrated from the perspective of three theologically inquisitive penguins and a managerial dove, exploring with humor and insight ancient and contemporary questions raised by the biblical text. The penguins wrestle with their own cantankerous nature, ("Why on earth are we "always fighting?"), their rudimentary understanding of God, ("Oh, God ... that's a difficult question,"), guilt (one penguin accidentally sits on a butterfly he'd been thinking about killing), heaven, judgment, and more. A nagging feeling that she's forgotten "something important" plagues the harried dove, who's responsible both for acquiring passengers and chaos-control; her distraction allows the penguins to sneak their friend on board, breaking the only-two-of-each-species rule. Muhle's pen-and-ink illustrations convey hilarity, pandemonium, and emotional depth, as the two penguins' efforts to hide the third lead the dove to believe she's speaking with God and unwittingly reveal her faith, doubt, and anger: "This flood is a catastrophe?" Only when orchestrating the paired disembarking does the dove realize what she'd forgotten--a partner--which results in an unconventional but loving union. Delightful and deep. Ages 8-12. (Sept.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2012 PWxyz, LLC
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"Meet at the Ark at Eight." Publishers Weekly, vol. 259, no. 34, 20 Aug. 2012, p. 67. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A300721649/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=332079e3. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Hub, Ulrich DUCK'S BACKYARD Gecko Press (Children's None) $18.99 9, 6 ISBN: 978-1-77657-473-5
A lonely duck with a "wonky leg" longs for a friend but hesitates to venture into the world.
One day, a self-centered, blind chicken wanders into the duck's backyard and quickly decides the duck will support her on an adventure to the "place where all our secret wishes come true." They progress in fits and starts. Sometimes the chicken leads; sometimes the duck is the brave one. Together, they conquer a scary black forest, cross a ravine on a narrow plank, and climb the highest mountain in the world--or do they? In a final test of their friendship, the chicken stumbles on a secret that casts the adventure and their friendship in a totally new light. This deceptively simple book's philosophical tone and sophisticated vocabulary make it ideal for older, practiced, and thoughtful readers or listeners (it makes for a solid read-aloud, too). Brief lines of orange text signal transitions and possible chapter breaks. Illustrations, all bold and abstract, are spare but are both strategic and impressive, anchoring the pair's emotional journey and clarifying the shifting leadership roles. Images of gnarly black trees, a brilliantly blue mountaintop followed by white pages (all that is visible amid the mountaintop clouds), and a canyon in earthen colors and wild brush strokes add welcome bursts of visual drama.
A simple story for philosophical listeners, who will ponder the opening statement: "The goal is in the way." (Fiction. 8-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2022 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Hub, Ulrich: DUCK'S BACKYARD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2022. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A706932927/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=1c9753b6. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story
Ulrich Hub, illus. by Jorg Muhle. Gecko, $18.99 (88p) ISBN 978-1-7765-7-5954
One "dreary winter night around 4 BCE," strangers travel to bring gifts to a baby born in a manger. Among these travelers are shepherds sans sheep, whose flocks' sleep is disturbed by the appearance of a new star "shining bright as the dawn."Afraid they've been abandoned--or that the shepherds have been abducted by UFOs--the sheep panic until a goat brings news of "a great feast day." Trading fear for excitement, the sheep journey toward the celebration, but since they're "not mathematically inclined," they can't be sure that all members of the flock are present and must rely on trust. Along their journey, they encounter more animals who steer them in the right direction, but they frequently leave one another behind, forcing them to turn back. Through humorous third-person narration that purposefully occludes the size of the flock, Duck's Backyard collaborators Hub and Muhle explore Christmas through the lens of a bonded animal family in this unique and sweet holiday tale. Muhle's ink illustrations of benignly smiling sheep depict the passing of time via the sky's changing colors as the flock pilgrimage to the manger. Ages 6-10. (Oct.)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
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"One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 29, 29 July 2024, p. 62. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A803782868/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=89ec1097. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Hub, Ulrich ONE WISE SHEEP Gecko Press (Children's None) $18.99 10, 1 ISBN: 9781776575954
In this inspired take on the Nativity, seven sheep venture from their field to find a special baby.
In a droll narrative intentionally packed with anachronisms, the small flock, each with a distinguishing characteristic (a leg cast, a retainer in a case, a snuffly nose), hears the news about the miraculous baby from a goat. Finding their shepherds gone (they heard the good tidings earlier from angels), they set out to visit the town where the baby is said to be. Various misadventures ensue, and the sheep encounter other animals, including a donkey who tells them: "A couple of guys on camels just turned up in strangely shaped hats, bringing all kinds of gifts from the East." Unfortunately, they learn that the baby and his family have moved on from the manger in a scrapyard. The sheep are indeed disappointed, having created their own present: a song that starts out "Si-i-lent niiiight"--a song that they speculate will be known for centuries. Occasional illustrations begin with the sheep depicted in line drawings with mono-color washes; more color is added along the way. Hub manages a rare feat--a strikingly original Christmas tale that balances whimsy, wry humor, and moments of joy and tenderness. Originally published in German and spawning an animated film in that language, this tale begs to be read aloud, provided the listeners already know the traditional version of the Nativity story.
A Christmas tale to hold the whole family spellbound.(Fiction. 6-12)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Kirkus Media LLC
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"Hub, Ulrich: ONE WISE SHEEP." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Aug. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A802865063/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=db619da8. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story
Ulrich Hub, author
Jorg Muhle, illustrator
Gecko Press www.geckopress.com
9781776575954, $18.99, HC, 88pp https://www.amazon.com/One-Wise-Sheep-Untraditional-Christmas/dp/1776575954
Synopsis: Tonight, the sheep can't sleep. The pasture is floodlit by a strange new star and their shepherds have disappeared.
They must have been kidnapped by a UFO--or perhaps they've gone to meet the child rumored to have been born in a stable. The sheep set off to find their shepherds. They'd like to see this child too, and they heard there'll be a party!
The sheep hike across country two by two, so none are lost. During this extraordinary night in Bethlehem, the quarrelsome sheep gradually become a real flock that pulls together.
"One Wise Sheep" is amusing retelling of the Christmas story through the eyes of the sheep reinforces the season's theme--be a little nicer to each other, forgive your quarrels, and listen to everybody, especially the children.
Critique: Original, clever, and a fun read from cover to cover, "One Wise Sheep" by the team of author/storyteller Ulrich Hub and artist/illustrator Jorg Muhle is especially and unreservedly recommended for family, elementary school, and community library Christmas themed fiction collections for young readers ages 6-10. It should be noted for personal reading lists that this hardcover edition of "One Wise Sheep" from Gecko Press is also available in a digital book format (Kindle, $9.99) as well.
Editorial Note #1: Ulrich Hub trained as an actor and now lives in Berlin, Germany. He works as a director for stage and writes plays, screenplays and children's books, which have won numerous awards. (https://geckopress.com/author_illustrator/ulrich-hub)
Editorial Note: Jorg Muhle (https://cargocollective.com/jmuehle) lives in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. He has written and illustrated many bestselling children's books for all ages, including picture books, junior fiction, and the widely acclaimed Tickle My Ears series of board books.
Please Note: Illustration(s) are not available due to copyright restrictions.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 Midwest Book Review
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"One Wise Sheep: An Untraditional Christmas Story." Children's Bookwatch, Dec. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A822840327/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=44e8289a. Accessed 13 Jan. 2025.
Duck's Backyard
Ulrich Hub
Jörg Mühle (Illustrator)
Gecko Press (Sep 6, 2022)
Hardcover $18.99 (88pp)
978-1-77657-473-5
In Ulrich Hub’s early reader Duck’s Backyard, two feathery beings find that their imperfections make them the perfect friends for each other.
A duck with a wonky leg who needs someone to support her pairs with a blind chicken who needs someone to see for her. After setting out in search for a place where dreams come true, they encounter a yawning chasm and a dark forest. They work toward the realization that they might have had what they were looking for all along.
Lyrical and rhythmic, this fast and urgent story is bold about examining the rocky parts of relationships, too. The chicken and duck insult each other and argue, yet they also make up in the end. Further, the very details that make them different from one another enable them to complete their quest: the chicken’s rash, carefree attitude encourages the duck to dream, and the duck’s own reserved, cautious nature keeps the chicken safe. And because the chicken and the duck are only ever referred to as such, the story’s lessons come to seem applicable to all kinds of friendships.
The book’s illustrations add an additional layer of charm. The duck and the chicken are the most prominent features in the illustrations, with soft, pastel-colored backgrounds behind them in some images. Those less prominent backgrounds reveal elements of their adventures while suggesting that their greatest challenge is not the physical dangers that they face, but their struggles to accept each other and themselves.
The endearing illustrated story Duck’s Backyard follows along as two friends overcome their differences and realize what matters most.
Reviewed by Vivian Turnbull
September / October 2022