“Woolbur” by Leslie Helakowski, illus. by
Lee Harper (Harpercollins, 9780060847265, $16.99, 32 pages, ages 4 to 8)
Woolbur’s folks would have liked their son to stick with the herd and act
like all the other sheep, but Woolbur has other ideas. He marches to his own
drum, to his own tuba, and even to his own glockenspiel! “Woolbur” is an
affirming story about being a creative thinker who leads the herd instead of
simply following it.
It starts when Woolbur goes out running with the dogs rather than stand
still with the sheep. Then, when all the other young lambs get sheared,
Woolbur chooses to keep himself wooly. Next, instead of carding shorn wool
with his class in school, Woolbur decides to card his own wool—the wool
that’s still attached to his head! (Fun fact: “carding” means brushing wool
in order to get it ready for spinning; in Woolbur’s case, this gives him
all-over wooly dreadlocks.) Woolbur goes on to take rides on the spinning
wheel, dye himself blue, and weave himself into a potholder. Each time
Woolbur’s Maa and Paa (hilarious!) point out that he’s not doing things the
usual way, Woolbur has the same confident response: "I know,” he says.
“Isn't it great?"
Finally, Maa and Paa put their hooves down and tell Woolbur that he simply
MUST get in line and act as the other sheep do. After a little thought,
Woolbur does exactly that: the next thing they know, EVERYBODY is following
his lead and doing things the oddball way. Instead of being a rebel, Woolbur
has become a trend-setter!
The lesson “Woolbur” teaches isn’t about disobedience; rather, it’s about
being a free thinker and a creative problem solver. Young Woolbur never
breaks the rules; instead, he uses his imagination, he experiments with
original ideas, and he finds creative new ways to lead the herd.
Illustrator Lee Harper has a really winning way with wool, and paired with
Leslie Helakowski’s sharp story, his careful pictures of textiles in all
stages of production will help make this picture book a happy find not only
for children but for many adult knitters and weavers as well. Like Woolbur
himself, it’s one of a kind!
Review by
Mark David Bradshaw, February 20, 2008
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