Sheepwrecked

K-Gr 4–This book will require no coaxing of children to get them to read it—quite the opposite. The vibrant, colorful illustrations will appeal to young readers as soon as the cover comes into view. Their interest will already be piqued by the title, and the chaotic cover reveals a clue or two to what’s inside: a pirate ship in shambles and worried looks on the sheep trying to keep it afloat. The sheep need to get to Foggy Island where an old pirate, Woolly Jones, lives as he is the only one able to help them. Fun for pre-readers, this story is also suitable for older kids due to playful language. The text abounds with puns (“Wooly is me” instead of “Woe is me”), Shakespearean quotes (“All’s wool that ends well”), alliteration, visual spoofs (Woolson instead of Wilson, the ball from Castaway). Teachers can introduce all of these things incidentally and begin referring to other examples upon further reading.