Big Bad Sheep

Gr 3–4—A modern take on the familiar wolf-in-sheep's-clothing fable. Karl and Locke are sheep. When word spreads that the Big Bad Wolf has kicked the bucket, a call goes out for a suitable replacement. Karl decides to apply, winning the job and fully committing to the role by gobbling up fellow sheep René. It's up to the meek Locke to save the day by taking the job of the Hunter. He succeeds, extracting René from the belly of the beast (literally). Karl eventually comes to his senses and gives up on being big and bad. The humor and vocabulary have moments of surprising sophistication. A "Be careful what you wish for" theme runs through the story, as Karl ends up going against his nature just to prove that he can handle the job. Simple black-and-white illustrations run along the bottom of every page, meshing well with the text. This role reversal will attract fans of the offbeat, so add Big Bad Sheep to the ranks of your fractured fairy tales.—Travis Jonker, Dorr Elementary School, MI