Sharing with Wolf by Melinda Szymanik illustrated by Nikki Slade Robinson

"My favourite food is grass, with the occasional daffodil. My favourite season is spring and my favourite colour is green. What about you?"

"My favourite colour is silver, like the moon. And my favourite season is also spring, because there is plenty of my favourite food around. It's in my nature."

Think about the cover and end papers with your library group or young reading companion. The sheep has a knitting basket and (on the end papers) the wolf has a book with the ominous title "50 ways with Mutton". Throughout the book keep your eye on the knitting basket - it has some fun labels.

Wolf is looking for a housemate. Lamb arrives. 

"I'm a quiet sort who loves minding my own business. It's true I do tend to follow the flock, but my wool makes very nice sweaters and bed socks."

The answer from Wolf is a little surprising. He says he cannot share with a sheep because ... well he likes to eat sheep.

BUT Sheep will not take no for an answer. Warning the ending might SHOCK you! Perhaps Sheep should have stayed with her flock.

Here are the teaching notes from Scholastic. Here is an interview with the author and illustrator. The suggested age for this 2020 picture book (I borrowed it from a library) is 4-8 but I think older children are more likely to enjoy the fun and perhaps not be too upset that maybe that little sheep has just become lunch for the wolf. 

Cobweb by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Michael Foreman

Bethan lives with her father in Wales. He is not unkind but since the loss of his wife he has become a distant figure. When their farm dog has puppies Bethan is desperate to keep and love the smallest of the litter. At first it seems her father will sell this pup but somehow she convinces him to let little Cobweb join their family. The small corgi proves himself a hard worker with the sheep and he is totally devoted to Bethan. Then just like in all the bad fairytales the wicked step mother arrives and Cobweb is gone. She has sold him and she tells Cobweb the new master will be a cruel one. Luckily this is not true. Becoming a drover's dog is a whole new and rewarding adventure even though the journey to London is long and at times quite dangerous. Meanwhile in Europe Napoleon has been defeated and soldiers are returning from the battlefield. Cobweb will make a new friend (the cover hints at this) and yes, he will find his way back to his beloved Bethan.

This is an engrossing story perfect for readers aged 9+. This book is especially easy to read because (thank you) the publisher has used a bigger font and lots of white space and there are terrific illustrations scattered throughout by Michael Foreman. 

A truly moving portrayal of the powerful bonds that can be formed between animals and humans, and of courage, the ghastliness of war and resulting loss of human life. Red Reading Hub

Publisher blurb: 

"They call me Cobweb. I’ll tell you why later. I may be a dog, but I know and understand a lot more than people think I do.”

Britain. 1815. After years of loss and sacrifice, the end of the war with Napoleon is approaching. Cobweb knows nothing of the war – he loves being a young puppy and playing with his owner, Bethan, exploring the countryside and chasing rabbits. But when he is taken away from Bethan and sold, Cobweb must learn to become a Drover’s Dog – herding sheep and cattle for hundreds of miles on the long, treacherous journey to London. And after the Napoleonic wars finally come to an end with the Battle of Waterloo, Cobweb meets an unexpected stranger with an incredible tale to tell on his journey home …

Michael Morpurgo has written over 150 books and won many prizes, including the Smarties Prize and the Whitbread Award. In 2005 he won the Blue Peter Book Award for his novel Private Peaceful, which was also adapted into an acclaimed stage play. Michael was Children’s Laureate in the UK from 2003 to 2005.  He was knighted in 2018 for services to literature and charity.  His books include the classics War Boy and War Game, winners of the Kate Greenaway Award and Smarties Book Prize respectively.

Companion books:

The Dog with seven names

I am Rebel

Brian the Brave by Paul Stewart illustrated by Jane Porter

Brian is a sheep - a typical sheep with white wool, curly horns and blue eyes but as we know in nature there are lots of variations and really there is no such thing as "typical" or "normal".  Brian has been living a carefree life unaware of the hurt that can be inflicted by others when he meets another sheep. She is called Rose and Rose has black wood and curly horns. This pair hit it off straight away and enjoy a happy romp around the field. Now comes the first complication. Another sheep arrives. His name is Stanley. Stanley is a black sheep but he has no horns. He declares

"I only like sheep with black wool. White wool is rubbish. I'm just going to play with Rose.' ... They wouldn't let Brain join in. Brian felt sad."

Naturally there are lots of other sheep in the flock. Tracey and Frank have white wool with black and yellow spots and they have curly horns.  This new pair declare they only want sheep with horns in their gang. So now Stanley is very sad. 

More sheep arrive and the pattern continues until finally Brian has had enough:

"We are all sheep ... we should all play together!"

Sadly nothing is solved. Eye colour becomes the next point of difference and once again Brian finds he is once again ostracized from the group - he felt very, very, very sad.

Brian walks away, head low. Oh no he bumps into a wolf! It is time for action - group action. If all of the sheep work together they can defeat this wolf! Brian saves the day and finds a way for the flock to all be friends - thank goodness!

On this page you will find a video where Paul Stewart and Jane Porter discuss their book.  Jane Porter uses collage for her illustrations. On her web site she shows examples of the work she does during school visits. Brian the Brave is one of those picture books which could be discussed by children from a range of ages and it would also be a great text to use when discussing Harmony Day here in Australia. Another discussion topic that is raised by this book is the power of a single word - when I read the word "rubbish" I shuddered.

At times it feels there are so many new books coming out I am overwhelmed with choice and I struggle to keep track of books I want to read. One way I have attempted to "tame this process" is through following book sellers and now children's book publishers on Instagram. In the past I was more concerned with authors and illustrators but a colleague of mine always asks me to supply the name of the publisher when I talk about reading a terrific book. I did some exploring on the web site of the publisher of Brian the Brave - Otter-Barry Books.  And I am now following them on Instagram. Here is their philosophy:

At Otter-Barry Books you will find the best picture books and non-fiction titles, with fantastic art, by some of the top authors and illustrators working today, addressing big themes such as identity, family, cross-cultural issues, world history, natural history and looking after our Earth …

Otter-Barry books are distributed in Australia by Walker Books.

Louis I King of the Sheep Olivier Tallec

Louis finds a crown and declares he is the king! On the title page he appears in his ermine cape with a scepter (tree branch). He sits on his throne (low fork of a tree) and observes his subjects. He dispenses justice, makes speeches, and goes hunting. King Louis I decides he should hunt lions but "since there were no lions in his kingdom, he would have them brought to him for his pleasure." 

Echoing Louis XIV of France,  Louis I lives in a grand place and his worker sheep tend his magnificent royal gardens which contain statues of Louis I and topiary forms in his image. He even meets with ambassadors from other lands (moose, penguin, tapir and raccoon). Louis I has now become a dictator - he orders his people to march behind him "in sheep step".

Then we come to the most chilling page of all:

"Next, Louis I decided that only the sheep who resembled him could live at his side. The others must be driven out."

Thank goodness at this point it is another windy day and his crown blows away. Oh no wait til you see where in lands!

The publisher and most reviewers list this as a picture book for young children but I think the audience that will really appreciate the power and leadership commentary afforded by the story should be much older children in senior classes aged 10+. Louis I King of the Sheep was originally published in French (2014 English Edition 2015 Enchanted Lion Books).  I looked for some teaching notes - I am sure there would be some produced in French.  Read more about Olivier Tallec here. You could also use this book with High School students - read the review below from Brain Pickings below which mentions deeper themes such as The Holocaust.

Tallec leaves it up to readers to decide how much of Louis’power trip is imaginary, giving them plenty of details to pore over while they muse.  It’s a political education—Schoolyard Politics 101—in a picture book, one well worth having on the bookshelf. Kirkus

As Louis I rises to power by nothing more than chance, he gradually transmogrifies into an entitled and arrogant tyrant. BrainPickings

Difficult to find sweeter and more tender than a sheep, you think. And yet! Give a little bit of power (or illusion of power) to one of these harmless beings, and you will see what will happen: authoritarianism, tyranny, segregation ... Fortunately, it is always possible to get rid of a leader, but will the one that follows necessarily be better? Actua Litte

I would pair Louis I King of the sheep with these books:

Baabwaa and Wooliam by David Elliott illustrated by Melissa Sweet

You may remember with Bear and Tiger in A trip to Panama there were two friends with different interests and skills who one day decide it is time for an adventure.  In this tale Wooliam is a reader ("There are not many sheep who read") and Baabwaa loves to knit ("Knitting is a very practical hobby for a sheep").  These two sheep are very content with life in their little caravan but one day Wooliam, who has been reading a book about pirates and treasure, announces it is time for an adventure.  Off they go! It is beautiful day. Which way should they go? Wooliam suggests they turn left. This means they end up walking in a circle. Eventually they stop for a bite of fresh grass when along comes a third sheep.

A sheep with a long rangy tail.
A sheep with a sharp, whiskered snout.
A sheep with a filthy wool coat.

Wooliam is not fooled. "It's that Wolf in Sheep's Clothing I've read about."

Wolf chases the sheep but then he stops with a question. "Have you actually read about me?"  Wooliam is happy to share his book but Wolf cannot read. The sheep offer reading lessons and Baabwaa will knit wolf a new coat. Can a Wolf and two sheep become friends?

There are some truly delightful words in this book:

rambunctious
lupine howl
outraged
chattercheeks

I should also make special mention of the end papers where you will see a trail of red wool with twists and turns rather like the funny plot of this story. This book should be included in every school library collection.

Melissa Sweet is the perfect illustrator for this picture book.  I adore her work. Go back and look more closely at the front cover. You will see the Wolf, the cute caravan and then notice the book Wooliam is reading - An illustrated History of Wolves!

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. Kirkus Star review

Sweet’s illustrations are charming, enchanting, and make it so easy to love this book from the moment you set eyes on the cover. Elliott and Sweet do an excellent job of creating characters we can all identify with and root for. Everyone gets to be both the sheep and the wolf in this story.It’s a fun way to practice empathizing with multiple perspectives. The Picture Book Review

My friend at Kinderbookswitheverything has a brilliant Pinterest collection of picture books that feature knitting. She also has a collection of picture books that feature wolves.

Here are a few titles I have talked about recently Moon by Alison Oliver; Bear and Wolf by Daniel Salmieri; Brenda is a sheep by Morag Hood; and I am so clever by Mario Ramos.

Brenda is a Sheep by Morag Hood

Brenda is a sheep - no she's not but perhaps those sheep don't recognise her true identity? Of course I am sure your young reading companion will immediately see through this disguise and the chuckles will be begin.

Take a look at Brenda's jumper - you can see this same pattern on the end papers. I love this description of Brenda:

"This is a sheep called Brenda. Brenda has a very nice woolly jumper."  

Later the sheep admire Brenda:

"The sheep think Brenda is probably the best sheep they have ever met. She is so very tall, has nice pointy teeth and her wool is all knitted and colourful. All the sheep want to be just like Brenda."

It is such a funny scene when the sheep take off their own wool, spin it and knit themselves jumpers just like the one Brenda is wearing.

Brenda, of course, has her own agenda. In the illustration you can see her recipe book - 101 sheep recipes. She is also busy making a big vat of mint sauce. Brenda tells the sheep there will be a surprise the next morning. Brenda tries to stay awake waiting for the sheep to nod off. To pass the time she starts to count the sheep .... AND she falls asleep.  I am certain the ending will surprise you - perhaps as much as it surprises Brenda!

You can see some other books by Morag Hood on her web site.

Lollylegs by Pamela Freeman illustrated by Rhian Nest James

Lollylegs was a gift from a friend and how I wish I had seen this book last year.  Our school has a spectacular school fete each year.  We do have a wonderful picture book called Our School Fete by Louise Pfanner which is actually based on our fete but I have always struggled to find other books which explore this type of community event.

Lollylegs is a lamb and she is set to be auctioned at the school fete.  Laura's dad brings the lamb home a few days before the big event and of course Laura falls in love with his cute face and soft wool.  Then she discovers that the winner might want to eat her lamb!  About one hundred tickets will be sold.  Laura urgently needs to raise money and buy those tickets.  She cleans, sweeps, washes and tidies but on fete day some of the tickets have already been sold.

Laura can't eat. She can't enjoy the fete. She is desperate to save Lollylegs.  Who will win?

Here is a set of teachers notes.  These are perfect beginning chapter books.  Each has three stories or three chapters, line drawings and a satisfying story by some of the best children's writers from around the world including our own Bob Graham.  Pamela Freeman is also Australian and I have talked about Victor's Quest and Cherryblossom and the Golden Bear in the past.  When you look at the review of Cherryblossom you will see a comment from Pamela herself!  You can also see the amazing Sonya Hartnett on this list with her story Sadie and Ratz.

There are thirty books in the Walker Book series and we have a few in our school library but for some reason we missed Lollylegs.

• Handa's Surprising Day - Eileen Browne
• Little Witch - Juliette MacIver
• Mr Tripp Smells A Rat - Sandy McKay
• Lollylegs - Pamela Freeman
• Our Gags - Catriona Hoy
• The King's Shopping - June Crebbin
• Happy Birthday x 3 - Libby Gleeson
• Robin Hood's Day - Josephine Feeney
• What Mona Wants, Mona Gets - Dyan Sheldon
• Glog - Pippa GoodHart
• Sylvie's Seahorse - Mara Bergman
• Nick Mack's Good Luck - Mara Bergman
• Parrot Park - Mary Murphy
• Sadie and Ratz - Sonya Hartnett
• Not Like Me - Marguerite Hann-Syme
• Ellie and Granny Mac - Elizabeth MacLennan
• Jack's Little Party - Bob Graham
• Leon Spreads His Wings - Wendy Lee
• Jake's Cave - Lou Kuenzler
• Grandad's Bench - Addy Farmer
• Toffee and Pie - Pippa Goodhart
• Nelson - Tor & Jude Freeman
• Drusilla and Her Brothers - Dyan Sheldon
• A Heart For Ruby - Franzeska G. Ewart
• Mia's Magic Uncle - Lindsay MacLeod
• The Lost Treasure - Jan Strandling
• Kasia's Surprise - Stella Gurney
• Comings and Goings of Parrot Park - Mary Murphy
• Drawing Together - Mimi Thebo
• My Dad, the Hero - Stella Gurney

King Pig by Nick Bland

The most interesting character in King Pig has no name and almost no voice. If you look very closely you will see the tip of his little jester hat just above the grass as he walks behind his King.  On the next page we see a little more of the King with his sheep crook and a tiny corner of the page you can see that same hat some distance back from the King who is approaching his castle.  On the first page all is revealed.  The King has forced his subjects - the sheep - to make  a bridge from planks strapped to their backs.  This servitude combined with the haughty demeanor of King Pig himself certainly sets the tone and relationship between King Pig and his subjects - the sheep.  Our tiny hero is also a sheep but he will be allowed to enter the castle contrary to the sign above the castle door.

Once inside our faithful little friend prepares a delicious hot dog lunch for his master but King Pig is far more interested in those sheep who never seem to listen and worse who seem to make fun of him.  King Pig is a bully so he commands the sheep to wash his castle in the middle of the night "but he just couldn't make them like him."

Just like the Emperor in the famous fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, King Pig decides he needs new and fancier clothes. Again it is the middle of the night but he summons the sheep and puts them to work dyeing and knitting the new fancy clothes.  Yes the new outfits are indeed spectacular but still his subjects are not impressed.  "What do I have to do to make you like me!"

King Pig does feel remorse but the ending is certainly open to further discussion.  Make sure you take time to notice the hats, the topiary trees outside the castle, the tent used as a shelter by the freezing sheep and the television antenna on top of the castle.

Here are some teaching notes.  You might also discuss the double meaning in the title.  Here is a detailed review.  This book has been short listed for our CBCA Awards for 2014.