Three Bags Full: A Sheep Detective Story

Three Bags Full:  A Sheep Detective Story by Leonie Swann

ISBN: 9780767927055
New York:  Doubleday/Flying Dolphin Press, 2006

Plot -George Glenn is dead, stabbed through the chest with a spade, and his sheep can't help but notice.  Although there is consensus among them that George was not all they could have wanted in a shepherd, it is they who do decide to solve his murder.  This particular flock and there once-was shepherd live in Glenkill, Ireland, and many things make them unusual.  First, George was generous enough to educate his sheep by reading to them in the evenings:  books about sheep health and disease, fairy tales, and most especially torrid romance novels with heroines who were usually red-headed and named Pamela.  Also, the flock includes star members who all play important parts in the investigation.  Miss Maple, "the smartest sheep in Glenkill" first inspires her comrades into action on George's behalf; Othello, the black head sheep, and Mopple the Whale.  Employing their slow but determined wit, their exceptional sense of smell, and what investigative skill they learned from the one detective novel George read them, the sheep sniff, watch, and ultimately perform their way to solving the mystery.

Critical Evaluation - This book is a bit slow at times, especially during the later sniffing scenes described in great detail, but it is also hilarious and the mystery includes enough twists to keep the reader engaged.  The overall tone is one of muffled subtlety as the sheet slowly move through their investigation.  The humor is both in the sheep's names and in their wonderfully shallow understanding of the world.  Characterization is as full as sheep characters warrant.  The real charm and overall draw of this novel lie in the sheep simply being sheep, or being simple sheep, as the case may be, who put their individual idiosyncratic talents together to form a workable mind. 

Reader's annotation -When George Glenn is found murdered in the pasture, his closest companions take on the real work of solving the mystery of his demise, they just happen to be his sheep.

Information about the author - Leonie Swann, a native of Bavaria living currently in Berlin, worked in public relations and journalism, and it was during this period of her life that she lived in Ireland and saw sheep for the first time out and about, living almost as wild animals.  She saw that as much as they are herd animals and have complex social interactions, they also have an instinct to step up and take leadership roles when the opportunity arises.  Before writing Three Bags Full, her first novel which was begun as a short story, Swann earned degrees in philosophy, psychology, and communications.  She is currently working to finish a doctorate in English literature.
Genre - Mystery; Crossover Adult/YA
Curriculum Ties - None that stand out
Booktalk ideas - 

1. Read the short piece from the very beginning where the flock finds George dead and Sir Ritchfield figures out that he was killed by a spade.
2. Read a sample of the sheep's perception of dogs.  Begin on pg.36 with "Suddenly the enemy raced into the middle of the flock--" and end on pg. 37 with "Unbridled panic broke out."

Reading level - Intended for adults, but the story and writing are great for YA

Challenge issues - none apparent

Why I included this book - School Library Journal includes Three Bags Full in its Best Adult Books for High School Students, 2007.  I chose it for its charm, humor, and good storytelling.  Many of my students come into the library looking for a break from their intense social and academic lives, and this is just the kind of fun read they eat up.  I recommend it as an alternative to Chick Lit or Fantasy as an escape read.