Sheep in Wolves' Clothing

In this kid-pleasingly convoluted effort, three unwary sheep are fleeced of their outerwear by four wily wolves (or, perhaps, ""woolves""), the mafioso-like manufacturers of Wolfgang & Bros. apparel. The sheep enlist the help of a detective cousin to win back their wool, and further adventures ensue. Kitamura's (When Sheep Cannot Sleep) elaborately spun plot has more twists and turns than a ball of yarn. Panel insets and cartoons with dialogue balloons mix manically with half-, full- and double-page spreads. Every blade of grass and cobblestone gets careful attention in Kitamura's precise, rectangular renderings, painted in slightly muted, subtly mottled watercolors. The effect is of controlled chaos-high comedy that stops just short of baa-laboring its own jokes. Ages 4-8. (Apr.)