Common Sense Media Review
By Bess Maher
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Sweet story about sick lamb is confusing in parts.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 3+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In THE SHEEPOVER: SWEET PEA & FRIENDS, farm dog Laddie wakes up Farmer John to let him know that orphan lamb Sweet Pea has fallen sick, just as the rest of the farm animals rally around her. Alison, a veterinarian, promises that as soon as Sweet Pea recovers, she'll get to have a "sheep-over" party with her friends. The story is based on real-life events and animals on the Churchmans' farm in Vermont, which the authors detailed on their Facebook page and then turned into a picture book. The book was originally self-published, then bought by Little, Brown as part of a three-book deal.
Is It Any Good?
The big cast of characters (farm dogs, three sheep, a goat, a rooster, a fox, and more) and fractured story line make it a bit hard for kids to follow. In the first half of the story, the farm animals sweetly rally around Sweet Pea not only to alert Farmer John to her illness but also to help her recover. The human characters, including Farmer John, his wife, and veterinarian Alison also model for young readers how to take care of animals. In the second half of the book, Sweet Pea and friends enjoy a sleepover party that veers toward the fantastic. The connection between the two story lines is a promise from Alison that Sweet Pea can have a sleepover party with her friends when she recovers. While both story lines are cute, little kids may get confused by the long and meandering story as well as by the contrast between real-life events in the first half and make-believe ones in the second. After all, sheep really do get injured legs and fevers, and vets really do make middle-of-the-night farm visits, but sheep don't really dance under disco balls or have favorite bedtime stories.
John Churchman's photo illustrations are striking, with midnight blue backdrops flecked with the whites and yellows of house lights and stars. But younger kids may have a hard time discerning the shapes in the dark, collage-style backgrounds.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how the animals work together to help Sweet Pea. How does Laddie help? How about Prem the goat and sheep Sunny and Violet? How about the other farm animals?
How do you like how the photos are presented? How does the art help tell the story?
How do the farmers take care of Sweet Pea? How do we take care of our animals?
Book Details
- Authors :
- Illustrator : John Churchman
- Genre : Picture Book
- Topics : Friendship , Animals , STEM
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Little, Brown and Company
- Publication date : February 1, 2016
- Publisher's recommended age(s) : 3 - 6
- Number of pages : 36
- Available on : Nook, Hardback, Kindle
- Last updated : September 30, 2025
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