The SheepOver: Sweet Pea & Friends, Book 1

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.