Tinka

This fanciful story sounds a cautionary note, enhanced by illustrations in gentle watercolour and coloured pencil. Tinka, a remarkably small sheep, is looked down upon by all the rest of the flock. Every Springtime, they celebrate on seeing the huge purple spider appear on the faraway hill. When Tinka stands on a stone on tiptoe she is still not tall enough to see the purple spider. But her dream of visiting him comes true when Sooty the crow agrees to fly her to the faraway hill. Here, the purple spider transforms into thousands and thousands of tiny flowers. Despite her insignificant size, Tinka is empowered by the knowledge that the other sheep are all wrong, and that she alone knows the true nature of the spider. Small is beautiful, yet again. Shame about the typo on the spine.