(2) PS Should Wuddles the sheep worry? Well, yes. A little yellow duckling who insists that the big, woolly sheep needn't be concerned is literally fleecing its barnmated--with the best intentions, however. Winter is coming, and the duckling needs a bit of wool for a scarf: "Mind if I take this, Wuddles? You have plenty of wool." Indeed Wuddles does have plenty; the sheep's placid face peeks out from a cloud of white. Next the duckling notices that the rooster needs a hat, the rabbit some earmuffs, the goat a pair of leg warmers, and so on. Readers will quickly catch on and enjoy guessing what the duckling decides to make for each successive­ animal. The text consists entirely of the busybody duckling's reassuring­ monologue­ as it sets out to ensure that the denizens of the barn are suitably equipped for winter. Wisp by wisp, the fleece is pulled from Wuddles's coat and fashioned into fluffy accessories--and the sheep's expression­ becomes more and more worried. Inevitably, the final pages display the result of the duckling's handiwork: wool-clad animals and a near-naked sheep. Never fear, Wuddles: a group hug will keep everyone warm. Though this barnyard outing­ lacks the sublime physical comedy of Judge's nearly wordless romps (such as Red Sled), her mastery of the expressive animal face is on full display. No worries here.

Reviewer: Vicky Smith | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2023

(2) K-3 Translated by Arthur A. Levine. Illustrated by Amanda Mijangos. Through lyrical text and almost abstract art, this Argentinian import plays with the human practice of counting sheep to fall asleep. So what do sheep count? "Sheep count flowers to fall asleep: one sunflower / two roses / three geraniums / four jasmines." While the words describe the habits of sheep, the pictures also incorporate line-drawings of children's faces, sometimes sleeping, sometimes observing. The illustrations are composed of oil pastels, watercolors, graphite, and ink, creatively combined in Photoshop. They contain a dreamily surreal set of recurring motifs, such as tiny stars, with a deeply saturated velvety blue being a strong component of many of them. The sheep themselves are there, too, occasionally made from colored dots or shown with a child's arms and legs. The text is at times humorous ("Sheep fly only when sleeping") and, like dreams, at other times scary ("When sheep have nightmares they get away from the wolf at the very last moment"). The images for the latter are frightening, with jagged black backgrounds, people running, and a sharp-toothed wolf ready to bite a little girl--but a subsequent wordless double-page spread seems to show peace restored, with simple curved shapes in bright colors, and a child now riding on the wolf. The rich text and complex pictures should offer possibilities for discussion with children, who may have unexpected observations of their own.

Reviewer: Susan Dove Lempke | Horn Book Magazine Issue: November, 2021

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Louis Thomas. When a cold wind starts blowing in the mountains, a (nearsighted) man named Silli sets out to round up some sheep, hoping to gather wool for a sweater. The boulderlike "sheep" he finds are immovable, however, so Silli carries them down the mountain ("They were very heavy"). Problems (and clues) ensue--"Their wool was as hard as stone"--but Silli improvises and finds a way to work with what he's got. The deadpan text is accompanied by illustrations that show how silly Silli's predicament is.

Reviewer: Kitty Flynn

(3) K-3 After she meets a sheepdog, a none-too-bright sheep decides to school him in how to do his job because "everyone knows I'm an expert at watching sheep." She doesn't realize what readers do: she's so oblivious that Sheep Dog has to keep rescuing her from danger. This odd-couple pair recalls a Looney Tunes duo in a picturesque pastoral setting.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) PS A little pig ("Oink!") settles into a bathtub until a little sheep ("Maaa?") with a toy boat comes in. Another knock brings a shower-capped cow ("Moo?"); then a life-preserver-sporting donkey ("Hee haw?") arrives. The pig looks comically more defeated with every page-turn. Told only through small-scale art and the animal and door sounds, the story uses smart pacing and energetic line work to draw out the droll humor.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2019

(2) K-3 Illustrated by Leila Rudge. Counting himself to sleep, young Amos has visions of grazing and leaping sheep--until a couple of loud "THUD"s jolt him awake. Two cranky sheep--counted to life in Amos's bedroom--take charge, but they have no end of demands. Amos exhausts himself trying to meet their needs; the last page finds ten sheep having a grand time while Amos sleeps on the floor. Mixed-media cartoon art in soft colors deftly articulates the shift from imagination to the reality.

Reviewer: Julie Roach | Horn Book Magazine Issue: September, 2019

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Petros Bouloubasis. In this twist on the nursery rhyme, young scientist Mary has "her little lab" but no friends, so she invents a machine, the "Sheepinator," to create a companion. Her scientific success brings her first ovine then human company, but not without complications. A bouncy rhyme scheme follows the familiar tune. Spindly illustrations, with broad-faced, skinny-limbed humans and very woolly sheep, maintain the story's more-silly-than-scientific playfulness.

Reviewer: Dorrie Karlin

(2) 4-6 New girl Chess, living down the street from Joni's family's Vermont sheep dairy farm, has strong opinions about animal welfare. Chess decides a neighbor's two healthy miniature horses need to be "rescued"--but Chess's ignorance about horse care actually endangers the animals. Through the girls' sometimes-strained growing friendship, Haas thoughtfully explores many views on animal welfare with minimal editorializing, allowing readers to decide for themselves.

Reviewer: Anita L. Burkam | Horn Book Magazine Issue: May, 2018

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Guillaume Perreault. After his mom suggests counting sheep, perpetually bedtime-averse Duncan takes her advice, and for each number he utters, a sheep jumps over his bed...until one sheep refuses to jump before it gets a drink of water, goes to the bathroom, etc. (Remind you of someone?) The comedy in this welcome spin on the bedtime-avoidance book is sensibly undercut with a soporifically soft palette.

Reviewer: Nell Beram

(2) K-3 Greta the goat thinks herself a masterful knitter. When Greta accidentally knits a hungry wolf who swallows Mrs. Sheep whole, Greta knits a tiger to take care of the wolf; when the tiger threatens Greta, she knits an enormous monster... Spare, gestured line drawings depict the cloven-hoofed characters and richly textured painting shows the needlework in this ebullient Dutch import, a winning take on the traditional cumulative story.

Reviewer: Thom Barthelmess | Horn Book Magazine Issue: July, 2018

(4) K-3 Farmer Simpson, having successfully put his sheep to sleep (Simpson's Sheep Won't Go to Sleep!), now can't wake them up. He yells and makes noise but nothing works--until he adopts a rescue dog, who uses gentler methods. Softly textured, humorous, if rather bland illustrations accompany a relentlessly rhyming text with a welcome message: sometimes stubborn friends "need just a gentle nudge."

Reviewer: Martha V. Parravano

(3) K-3 Seedlings: Farm Animals series. This well-designed emergent-reader series introduces common farm animals with friendly texts and lots of attractive, glossy photos. The information is elementary, but the books are successful introductions to nonfiction conventions. A concluding spread features an anatomically labeled photo of the animal and close-ups of specific features. Reading list, websites. Glos., ind. Review covers these Seedlings: Farm Animals titles: Horses, Pigs, Sheep, Chickens, Cows, and Goats.

Reviewer: Katrina Hedeen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Book-lover Wooliam and knitter Baabwaa are sheep best friends looking for an adventure. They meet a wolf in sheep's clothing whom Wooliam teaches to read and Baabwaa knits a new coat for...when the wolf isn't chasing them ("he is just following his nature"). Elliott's matter-of-fact tone blends humorously with Sweet's playful mixed-media illustrations in this offbeat tale of unlikely new friendship.

Reviewer: Cynthia K. Ritter

(4) 1-3 Calico Kid: Hank the Pet Sitter series. Illustrated by Anoosha Syed. When Hank's bicycle breaks, it's up to him to earn the money to get a new one. This series of responsibility-touting transitional readers follows Hank as he pet-sits for some wacky critters, each job getting him closer to his goal. Large full-color illustrations will help new readers decode the slight yet approachable texts. Review covers these Calico Kid: Hank the Pet Sitter titles: Elmer the Very Sneaky Sheep, Otis the Very Large Dog, Pickles the Very Hungry Pig, and Yum-Yum the Very Spoiled Fish.

Reviewer: Kari Allen

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Cale Atkinson. A narrator begins the traditional story of a young girl in a red-hooded cape--but a sheep named Arnold interrupts, begging to be in the story. Wise-cracking Arnold co-opts the story, changing the setting, pulling friends in, and totally taking over. In a funny book's-end twist, the narrator begs to be in Arnold's story. Digital illustrations in hot colors emphasize the madcap meta goings-on.

Reviewer: Gail Hedges

(3) K-3 Farm sheep Lola is sad to be shorn and even sadder when her wool grows in messy. But that wool provides a nest of sorts for a feathered friend--and friendship is more important than good looks, after all. The text's assured voice should make for an engaging read-aloud. Colorful, swirly art with thickly outlined figures creates a stained glass–like look.

Reviewer: Shoshana Flax

(3) PS Illustrated by Rosalinde Bonnet. Lamb Pablo has never seen snow before, so he sneaks out of his cozy barn to investigate. After an enjoyable day with new friends, he gets lost in the dark. Happily, Mama and Papa come to his rescue. Both the spare text and mixed-media illustrations acknowledge the anxiety of this relatable-to-preschoolers predicament, but visual humor, a muted palette, and rounded shapes offer reassurance.

Reviewer: Katie Bircher

(4) K-3 Lili Wool, an expressive lamb, likes to use her imagination...to the consternation of her herd. She finds a thread of wool and, holding it aloft, dances across the landscape using it in a gymnastics routine, to lasso "bad guys," etc. Unfortunately, the thread strips wool from an annoyed sheep. The slight tale is sharply illustrated in muted colors with simple black lines.

Reviewer: Sheila M. Geraty

(4) K-3 In the Barnyard series. Basic information about each farm animal's physical appearance, offspring, diet, and their importance (as livestock or as companions) is supplemented with informative facts in sidebars. Although the information at times ranges from too general ("Dogs are smart and gentle") to too specific (puppies' eyes don't open "until they are nine days old"), the bright, lively photos and inviting subjects are appealing. There are four other fall 2016 books in this series. Reading list. Glos., ind. Review covers the following In the Barnyard titles: Sheep, Cows, Goats, and Dogs.

Reviewer: Nancy Sheridan

(3) K-3 Illustrated by Harry Bliss. "My favorite pet is sheep," begins a farm boy's school paper. (The book's text resembles a child's handwriting on lined paper.) The ensuing report is made up not of traditional sheep facts but of entertaining lessons the boy learned while cavorting with his sheep (e.g., "You can't put sheep into a wheelbarrow"). New Yorker cartoonist Bliss's illustrations play like perfect punch lines.

Reviewer: Nell Beram