Sheep Dog and Sheep Sheep

A lovable sheepdog and his oblivious but enthusiastic charge feature in this comical story. Sheep loves to dance, and while she is happily doing so with her eyes shut one day, she bumps into a big shaggy creature who introduces himself as the sheepdog. “Well, I’m a SHEEP sheep. I watch sheep, too,” she declares, setting off to help the dog improve at his job. Perkily, she provides him with a yellow bow to pull back his long bangs and finds him binoculars and a map; all the while, Sheep Dog quietly saves Sheep from a range of hazards—eagle, coyote, decrepit bridge. But when Sheep inquires about the others that Sheep Dog is meant to be watching, it turns out there’s only one, and Sheep Dog has been doing his job better than anyone realized. Pencil and Photoshop illustrations by Barclay (Hiding Phil) leave plenty of room for giggle-inducing word choices (the eagle is told to “vamoose,” the coyote, to “skedaddle”) as a sweet friendship burgeons. Ages 4–8. [em]Agent: Lori Nowicki, Painted Words. (Feb.) [/em]