Just Like Floss

Floss's five puppies are strong and sturdy but only one is to be kept on the farm to help Floss herd the sheep. The one who shows himself to be 'just like Floss' is the littlest, Sam, who is unafraid one snowy day when confronted by sheep with hard black heads and horns. Sam stares into the eyes of an old ewe and she and the rest of the flock retreat. The worlds are simple and well-chosen, leaving Lewis' visual images to convey this tiny slice of life on a hill-farm in winter. The illustrations range from the landscapes of the end papers to close-ups of people and animals in which texture is so graphically conveyed that one longs to run a hand over the rough-coated sheep. The design is excellent; the landscape format suits the content and the page layout works well, particularly in the scenes where Sam runs over the fields to confront the sheep.