“The Lambkins” is a story about a lonely woman and how she manages to make a family, even without her husband, Magnus the Magnificent. Mrs. Shepherd, the lonely woman, had a dollhouse that Magnus had made for her. The dollhouse was an exact replica of her real house. It even had electricity at one point! Needing to fill her house with dolls, Mrs. Shepherd decided that she could help real kids in the process. Whenever Mrs. Shepherd found a kid who was an artist of some kind, whether it was in writing, music, painting, acting, or singing, who had a struggle to continue with their passion, Mrs. Shepherd would kidnap them. She would cleverly trick the child into reaching for something in her trunk, then, suddenly, she would give them a shot to make them as small as a doll. Mrs. Shepherd would place the doll-sized kids, who she called “Lambkins”, in her dollhouse, but only four at a time to allow for each kid to have their own room. When one of the Lambkins died, another kid would be kidnapped and shrunk to doll size. The Lambkins were McNamara Chang- a baseball player who wanted to write, Tanya Roberts- a foster child who played the violin, Lupe Sanchez- a four-year-old girl who was taken because Mrs. Shepherd wanted a little girl to act, and John Ponderelli, a singer who died and was replaced with the main character, Kyle Wilson, a painter. There was also a dog named CH Pippy (CH stood for champion). These four kids and their dog try to escape many times, but fail every time. After months, they get the chance for an escape when there is a leaking pipe. Mrs. Shepherd had to call a plumber to fix the pipe, and the Lambkins were positive that she would show him the dollhouse. They painted, “Help. Mrs. Shepherd kidnapped us. We are hidden in her house”, and they listed their names. Unfortunately, Mrs. Shepherd saw the note before the plumber came and decided that she had to get rid of her present Lambkins and get new ones. Luckily, the Lambkins were able to knock her down with a stone to escape. Finally, they escaped to the neighbor’s house and were in safety for the first time in months.
The book, “The Lambkins”, is one of my favorite books that I just couldn’t put down. With the help of a great plot, this book was almost perfect. Even the beginning was interesting, as opposed to containing a long, introductory build up, which is hard to find in books. Every aspect of the book was entertaining, especially the characters. My favorite character was Mrs. Shepherd, because of her surprising personality. You never knew whether she would respond to an action kindly, with a giggle, or angrily, with a beastly roar. The character, Mrs. Shepherd, made the book a never-ending surprise. Everyone would enjoy the characters in this book. The ending of this book brought a definite surprise. The plot in the end just kept turning and turning, so you wouldn’t be able to guess what was going to happen next. When I saw the Lambkins plan failing with only a few pages of the book left, I thought the story would end with no solution to the problem. It was a shock to see how well the writer kept the suspense throughout the book, and ended it so quickly, without sparing great detail. If I were to compare this book with another science fiction book, like “Running Out of Time” by Margarot Haddix, I would automatically say that “The Lambkins” by Eve Bunting is better in many ways. The ending to “The Lambkins” was excellent, and so was the plot of the story, but unlike “Running Out of Time,” it was not the type of book that would be read over and over again. “The Lambkins” introduces new vocabulary, such as the word “retch”. The dangers of being allured by strangers are definitely well described. You are also able to learn some of the vocabulary easily because the words are defined within the book for explanation to one of the characters, the four-year-old Lambkin. The way the author grabs the reader into the book is amazing. Her writing makes you feel like you’re there, in the book. You can feel the fear and eagerness of the Lambkins to get out. There is just enough detail in the book to make you understand the struggles of the Lambkins. Unfortunately, I was hoping to find out more of what happens to the Lambkins after their escape, but it is also nice to leave the aftermath to your imagination. “The Lambkins” is an excellent book that makes you eager to read the author’s other books.
Rating (0 - 10 scale): 8
Reviewer: MP
