Eleven Lazy Llamas

Martha Lamon is a freelance writer and researcher based in Huntsville,
Ontario.

Author and illustrator Dianna Bonder’s sixth children’s book is
based on the real-life llamas at Shellama Farms in Langley, British
Columbia. The storybook farm has pigs, chickens, farmers Dave and
Sheila, and 11 lazy llamas. These llamas sleep all day and then have a
dancing and hopping, bouncing and chopping, llama party at night.

One night, in the midst of their festivities, a mother hen gets their
attention and draws them over to the coop. The smallest llama pokes her
head into the coop and sees that the baby chicks have fallen through the
floor of the coop. The llamas have a huddle and then dig around the coop
and use their tails to help the chicks escape. The llamas then make
their way back to their pen and settle down to sleep in the exact same
places they were sleeping when farmers Dale and Sheila left them the day
before. The farmers shake their heads and wonder if the llamas ever
move.

This lovely book has amusing and lively illustrations. The
multicoloured llamas with big eyes and eyelashes and the improbable,
entertaining story make this book especially suitable for very young
children. Recommended.