One Smart Sheep

August 1, 2021
Lost in the city, a sheep tries to find his way home. Abigail Atwood and her border collie, Tippy, know that Wilson's the "friendliest...woolliest [and] smartest" of the 27 sheep on their hillside farm. When Wilson was a tiny lamb, Abigail kept him in a box by the woodstove and bottle-fed him. Since joining the flock in the pasture, Wilson waits by the gate to greet Abigail and Tippy, rubbing his head against Abigail's knee or touching noses with Tippy. "Wilson was special." One early winter day, Wilson pushes open an unlatched pasture gate and heads toward Abigail and Tippy's warm house, where a delivery truck is parked outside. Looking for Tippy, Wilson trots up the truck ramp just as the doors shut, trapping him inside. Enduring every bump, turn, and noise on his long ride inside the truck, Wilson then finds himself alone and disoriented in a crowded, busy city when the doors open. Meanwhile, Abigail realizes Wilson has vanished and searches everywhere but finds no sign of him. Wilson's smart, but is he smart enough to find his way home in the encroaching darkness and snow? The large-print, easy-reading chapters hold enough action and suspense to keep budding readers turning pages as the plot alternates among Abigail, Tippy, and Wilson. Whimsical, charming full-page watercolor illustrations capture highlights of Wilson's big adventure. The delightful, fast-paced saga of a special sheep who uses his wits. (Fiction. 8-10)

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August 16, 2021
In this beginning chapter book authored by previous collaborators (A Long Road on a Short Day) Schimdt and his late wife Stickney, a sheep named Wilson makes an unexpected journey via delivery truck. It takes Wilson’s resourceful owner Abigail Atwood, a border collie named Tippy, and a crusty, loud machine–loving neighbor named Jeremiah Jefferson to restore Wilson to his place on Abigail’s farm. The narration proceeds in real time, describing Wilson’s remarkably friendly personality—he always trots over for a pat—and developing a subplot of crabby exchanges between Abigail and Jeremiah (“I suppose he’d look handsome to some,” Jeremiah says grudgingly when asked to admire Wilson). Affectionate passages recall Wilson’s idyllic babyhood in Abigail and Tippy’s cabin; it’s an interest in finding the “warm and comfortable” that leads Wilson into a piano delivery truck, setting off further gambols. Rhythmic narration often comes in threes, as when Wilson discovers his error: “No Tippy. No Abigail. No woodstove, either.” Manning (Jumping Off Library Shelves) contributes green, misty watercolors, with pink-skinned characters whose friendly, expressive faces befit this pure-hearted comedy. The creators celebrate the quirky dilemmas of rural life in a way that radiates affection for animals and their owners. Ages 8–12. Authors’ agent: Rick Margolis, Rising Bear Literary.

November 1, 2021

Gr 2-5-Wilson, an unusual sheep, gets lost but finds his way back home. Wilson is no ordinary sheep; he feels emotions and has characteristics like a human. He lives with 26 other sheep on a farm owned by Abigail Atwood. Abigail and her dog Tippy have always observed that Wilson isn't ordinary, and they gravitate toward him. When Abigail goes for her daily visit and upkeep of the sheep pen, Wilson always comes to her to be petted and talks to her in his sheep language. She has had this special sheep on her farm since he was a baby and has always treated him differently. For instance, she gave him bottles of milk when he was little and treats him as more of a pet than a farm animal. One evening, Abigail forgets to close the pen. Wilson ends up in a delivery truck and is left alone in the big city. When Abigail realizes he is missing, she frantically goes looking for him with the help of Tippy and her neighbor Jeremiah. Wilson, realizing he is no longer on the farm, relies on the sounds of his memories to find his way back home. He succeeds, as Abigail finds him headed back to the farm. VERDICT A jovial tale of a human and animal bond where it's least expected. Children will enjoy reading about an animal who doesn't always take center stage, and will be awed by Wilson's bravery and intelligence. Great for any children's library collection.-Annmarie Braithwaite, New York P.L.

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 28, 2022
Grades 3-6 Abigail Atwood lives with Tippy, her Border collie, in a little red house. Every morning, they climb to the pasture on Atwood Hill and greet Wilson, "the friendliest, wooliest, smartest sheep" in the flock of 27. Distracted when leaving one day, they forget to latch the gate. Soon a truck arrives and workers carry a piano into Abigail's home. Wilson leaves the pasture and trots up the ramp into the truck. After a short ride, he explores the nearby town before heading home. Meanwhile, a neighbor drives Abigail and Tippy around town to search for the lost sheep. Reunited at the red house that evening, all are content until 26 unexpected visitors arrive at the door. The brevity, clarity, and gentle humor of Schmidt's writing will appeal to many readers, from kids moving up to chapter books to older readers learning English as a second language. Appearing on many double-page spreads, the soft, richly colored pencil-and-watercolor illustrations have a na�ve charm that reflects the tone of the telling. An engaging story, well suited to reading aloud.

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