The Sheep Go on Strike

Dumont’s barnyard fable The Chickens Build a Wall dealt with xenophobia, and The Geese March in Step celebrated individuality; here, he uses humor to explore notions of fairness in labor. Fed up with being sheared, the sheep mount a strike, causing havoc on the farm. After Ernest the sheepdog tries to get the sheep to move by nipping at one of the ewes, “the flock nearly stampeded him, running after him and hollering about police brutality.” Opinions on the farm are divided: “Some, like Igor the goose, thought that sheep were made to be shorn.” Following a knockdown fight involving all of the animals—including a few insects and a snail—a (fashion-forward) compromise is reached, allowing the sheep to enjoy their wool in a new way. Fun on the farm, with plenty of fodder for conversations about social justice. Ages 4–8. (Oct.)