The Complete Adventures of Johnny Mutton

Gr 2–4—Proimos has written both picture books and Nickelodeon screenplays, and here he combines the two sensibilities in a comic-book style collection of short vignettes. Three previously published titles [The Many Adventures of Johnny Mutton (2001); Johnny Mutton, He's So Him (2003); and Mutton Soup (2004, all HMH)] are here collected in a single volume with the addition of a new story. It begins when Momma Mutton finds a baby left on her doorstep. She happily takes him in, names him Johnny, and never notices that he is in fact a sheep, not a human. At home, at school, and around town, Johnny attracts attention by wearing socks on his ears, joining a water ballet, and dressing as a runny nose for Halloween. His escapades are full of offbeat humor and some surprisingly poignant moments, with a few potty humor gags thrown in for good measure. The illustrations are bold, accessible, and as zany as the text. These silly tales may, at first glance, seem slight. However, when readers take them in as a whole, deeper messages begin to emerge around the themes of staying true to yourself and respecting others, quirks and all. Johnny Mutton is good both for a laugh and for a reflection on self-determination and self-respect.—Jenna Lanterman, formerly at The Calhoun School and Mary McDowell Friends School, New York City