Perma-Bound

PreS-Gr 2-Woolbur is his own sheep. He doesn't follow the herd, he doesn't shear his wool in the spring, and he weaves his forelock into a flamboyant bouffant hairdo. And whenever his Maa and Paa point out to him that he is different, Woolbur's answer is, "I know....Is it great?" It's great for free-spirited Woolbur and his in-tune Grandpaa, but not for his concerned parents, who are picking themselves bald with worry. When they finally insist that their son must act more like the other sheep, Woolbur turns conformity on its head by teaching all of the others to act like him. Now Maa and Paa's concern is how they can identify their child from all the other eccentrics. Woolbur is a testament to individuality, although the conversion of the other sheep diminishes the message a bit. Still, it's nice to see a story in which being different is not a struggle but a happy choice made in the spirit of fun. Harper's amusing illustrations contribute to that fun with subtle details like Grandpaa's yin and yang bed linen and a copy of Right Brained Lambs on a lamp table beside a frazzled Maa. There is plenty to mull over, making this a good supplemental selection.-Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA Copyright 2008 Reed Business Information. Sheep Woolbur does everything a bit differently: he runs with the dogs, cards the wool on his own body, and rides the spinning wheel. When his worried parents direct him to be like other sheep, he instead teaches others to be like him. While the repetitive text belabors the point, the woolly textured illustrations offer entertaining details.