BAABWAA AND WOOLIAM

A wolf and two sheep in a funny-ever-after tale? Yes!

Wooliam is a sheep who reads, not a common activity for farm animals. His best friend, Baabwaa, is a sheep who knits—a highly practical activity for wooly critters. One day, they set out on an adventure that consists of much walking through the same field, which leads to an appetite for grass. Suddenly, who should appear but another sheep. But is it another sheep? This one has a tail, a snout, “horrid teeth,” and a “filthy wool coat.” Fortunately, Wooliam knows the facts: it is “that Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing I’ve read about.” This impresses the third sheep—er, make that the wolf. Alas, the wolf cannot read about himself because he cannot read. No problem. Wooliam will teach him his ABC’s, and Baabwaa will knit him a clean, new coat. A friendship occasionally spiced with danger follows. Elliott’s tale is cleverly humorous and a joy to read aloud. Sweet’s illustrations in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media are a stellar accompaniment. Much of the action is set in frames, of both the hanging-on-the-wall variety and the graphic-novel variety. The characters are all highly expressive, and the graph paper and strands of yarn in the page design add to the nonstop merriment.

Great for knitters, for readers, for fun-seeking adventurers.