Baabwaa and Wooliam: A Tale of Literacy, Dental Hygiene, and Friendship

by David Elliott, Melissa Sweet (Illustrator)

Overview

A hilarious and satisfying tale of literacy, dental hygiene, and friendship from David Elliott and Melissa Sweet that is sure to have readers in stitches from start to finish.

Baabwaa is a sheep who loves to knit. Wooliam is a sheep who loves to read. It sounds a bit boring, but they like it. Then, quite unexpectedly, a third sheep shows up. A funny-looking sheep who wears a tattered wool coat and has long, dreadfully decaying teeth. Wooliam, being well-read, recognizes their new acquaintance: the Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing! The wolf is so flattered to discover his literary reputation precedes him that he stops trying to eat Baabwaa and Wooliam. And a discovery by the sheep turns the encounter into an unexpected friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780763699376
Publisher:	Candlewick Press
Publication date:	03/02/2021
Pages:	40
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 10.25(h) x 0.15(d)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

David Elliott is the award-winning author of many books for children, including And Here’s to You!, illustrated by Randy Cecil; In the Wild, On the Farm, and In the Sea, all illustrated by Holly Meade; and Nobody’s Perfect, illustrated by Sam Zuppardi. David Elliott lives in Warner, New Hampshire.

Melissa Sweet has illustrated nearly one hundred books for children, including Caldecott Honor Books The Right Word: Roget and His Thesaurus and A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams. She is also the illustrator of Firefly July: A Very Short Year of Poems and Some Writer! The Story of E. B. White. Melissa Sweet lives in Rockport, Maine.

Editorial Reviews

Written by David Elliott, this hilarious romp shares a timely and powerful message — that even our enemies can become friends when we discover common threads and common stories. Melissa Sweet’s outstanding art is whimsical and playful.
—The New York Times Book Review

Elliott's tale is cleverly humorous and a joy to read aloud. Sweet's illustrations in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media are a stellar accompaniment...The characters are all highly expressive, and the graph paper and strands of yarn in the page design add to the nonstop merriment. Great for knitters, for readers, for fun-seeking adventurers.
—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Elliott’s droll sense of humor generates lots of laughs—“It says here I’m cruel and sneaky!” complains the wolf after learning how to read. “And your point?” responds Wooliam—which Sweet (Some Writer!) capitalizes on in mixed-media scenes that embody the simultaneous dopiness and intrepidness of the sheep, as well as the wolf’s mix of menace and vulnerability. An off-kilter adventure with charm to spare.
—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

With illustrations created in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media, this picture book is sure to hold the attention of early elementary children...A fun modern take on the big bad wolf. The colorful visuals warmly convey the drama and excitement of the enjoyable text.
—School Library Journal

David Elliott’s ever-so-clever tale of two sheep, Baabwaa & Wooliam (ages 4 to 8), has the makings of a classic...The story’s droll humor is underscored by Melissa Sweet’s illustrations, which have bold touches of color and smart details (check out the nifty trailer the sheep call home). Here’s hoping Elliott continues the adventures of this wonderful, woolly pair.
—BookPage

This humorous tale features two wooly friends who love knitting and reading. While searching for an adventure, they must learn to work as a team when they find a wolf in sheep's clothing—literally.
—Shelf Awareness Pro

This is an amusing delight because of both the tongue-in-cheek voice (“Knitting is a very practical hobby for a sheep. It’s surprising not more of them do it.”) and the sprightly mixed-media art...Underpinned by a love of reading (and knitting), there’s plenty to enjoy here.
—Booklist Online

Sweet’s colorful and expressive illustrations, done in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media, add to the fun of this entertaining tale of an unlikely friendship.
—Literacy Daily

The playful multimedia illustrations perfectly match the lighthearted, droll story that's a tribute to reading.
—The Providence Journal

From the Publisher

★ 2017-06-05
A wolf and two sheep in a funny-ever-after tale? Yes!Wooliam is a sheep who reads, not a common activity for farm animals. His best friend, Baabwaa, is a sheep who knits—a highly practical activity for wooly critters. One day, they set out on an adventure that consists of much walking through the same field, which leads to an appetite for grass. Suddenly, who should appear but another sheep. But is it another sheep? This one has a tail, a snout, "horrid teeth," and a "filthy wool coat." Fortunately, Wooliam knows the facts: it is "that Wolf in Sheep's Clothing I've read about." This impresses the third sheep—er, make that the wolf. Alas, the wolf cannot read about himself because he cannot read. No problem. Wooliam will teach him his ABC's, and Baabwaa will knit him a clean, new coat. A friendship occasionally spiced with danger follows. Elliott's tale is cleverly humorous and a joy to read aloud. Sweet's illustrations in watercolor, gouache, and mixed media are a stellar accompaniment. Much of the action is set in frames, of both the hanging-on-the-wall variety and the graphic-novel variety. The characters are all highly expressive, and the graph paper and strands of yarn in the page design add to the nonstop merriment. Great for knitters, for readers, for fun-seeking adventurers. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews