Common Sense Media Review
By Mary Eisenhart
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Dory faces reading difficulties in imaginative third romp.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 6+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
As DORY DORY BLACK SHEEP opens, things have been going pretty great in 6-year-old Dory's intertwined real and imaginary worlds since the events of Book 2. But uh-oh: Dory's having trouble learning to read, and, worse yet, her BFF Rosabelle is already zipping through chapter books! Then a lamb (who may have escaped one of the early reader books) turns up at her house. Things get really strange when comic villainess Mrs. Gobble Gracker drinks a potion meant for Dory -- and turns into a 6-year-old. Will Dory ever learn to read? Will Goblin the lamb ever get home?
Is It Any Good?
Reading challenges, lost sheep, sibling squabbles, magic potions, and a much-too-small Batman costume are all part of the fun in author Abby Hanlon's latest helping of early-grade silliness. As Dory says, "My two worlds swirl together like a chocolate and vanilla ice cream cone. Real and unreal get all mixed up in one crazy flavor." Kids who've been following the series from the beginning will get a huge kick out of Dory Dory Black Sheep's unlikely plot developments (arch-villainess Mrs. Gobble Gracker as a little kid?) and the funny drawings.
Dory's worries and frustrations will resonate with many young readers (and almost-readers), as will her perseverance, kind heart, and wacky approach to problem-solving.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about imaginary friends. Do you have any? What are they like?
Do you feel like characters in books and movies are your friends? Which ones would you really like to be friends with in real life if you could?
Have you ever had a situation with a good friend where one of you was much better at something than the other one? How did it affect your friendship?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Friendship
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings ) , Friendship
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial
- Publication date : September 20, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 6 - 8
- Number of pages : 150
- Available on : Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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