Lana Llama

Lana the llama didn’t fit in with her flock of sheep. She did have four legs, two ears, and a fuzzy tail like the rest, but her legs were too long, her neck too tall, and she sounded different. She cried reee! instead of baa! She tried hard to fit in by hunching and crouching to make herself small. Some days she walked around on her knees.

One day, Lana noticed a bully bothering the flock. The dog barked at and chased the flock, making them feel bad. Lana decided to help. She stood up to her full height, and, when the bully saw her, he ran away and didn’t bother the flock again. Lana saved the day just by being herself.

The full-colour, full-page illustrations in realistic format support the text. Children will enjoy these beautiful pictures and can “read” the story following the pictures. It is interesting to note that the illustrator has depicted each sheep in the flock with a variety of characteristics, with different coloured heads, bodies, and legs. Even in a flock, no two are alike, reinforcing the idea that we are all unique even though we share many attributes.

Teachers/caregivers can use this book to discuss accepting oneself and valuing one’s attributes, even when they are different from the rest. The mention of bullying comes up in the story and teachers/caregivers can use Lana Llama as a tool to start discussions on that topic.