Woolbur

Woolbur #1

by Leslie Helakoski, Lee Harper (Illustrator)

Woolbur is a free-spirited, fluffy, one-of-a-kind sheep! He knows the most important accessories are confidence and fearlessness.

Woolbur is not like other sheep. He hangs out with wild dogs and even dyes his wool blue.

"Don't worry!" says Grandpaa when Maa and Paa fret that Woolbur is different. But when they tell their son to follow the flock, the opposite happens—the flock follows him! Soon everyone is copying his wild hairstyles and taking turns on the spinning wheel. Leave it to Woolbur to find a new way to step ahead of the herd.

Spunky, funky, and refreshingly distinct, Woolbur will strike a chord with anyone who's ever felt different. And that's all of us!

Awards


Book Sense Hot Pick
Great Lakes Book Award finalist
Gift of Literacy Oregon Book Choice
Michigan Reads! One State, One Picture Book Award
Be sure to join Woolbur’s next adventure in Ready or Not, Woolbur Goes to School!

Genres: Picture Books, Childrens, Fiction, Humor, Animals, Storytime, Family

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 2, 2008

Reviews

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the opening line - "Wilbur had a little trouble with the herd today," said Maa - this delightful picture-book had me chuckling, absorbed in the unfolding tale of a little sheep continually out of step with his peers. Woolbur can never seem to conform to the "normal" standards of ovine behavior, whether that be running with the other sheep, as opposed to those "wild" dogs, or submitting to being sheared. Every time his parents task him with one of his unusual actions or choices, he responds with a cheery "I know! Isn't that great?", and Grandpaa intones, "Don't worry! But Maa and Paa do worry - they worry a lot - and finally, they inform Wilbur that he must do what the other sheep are doing. Is this the end of Wilbur's unique way of being in the world...?

With its effective use of repetition - Wilbur's parents continually question him, while Wilbur himself is continually unconcerned - and endearing characters, Leslie Helakoski's narrative is both entertaining and thought-provoking. Whether it is read as a meditation on being different, on having self-confidence, or on becoming a leader, it is an amusing story in its own right. Lee Harper's fluffy-looking illustrations suit the tale perfectly, capturing Wilbur's insouciant joy, his parents nightly worry (they continually pull on their wool), and Grandpaa's reassuring presence. Highly recommended!

[Juli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audience: While at first glance this book seems geared toward the Pre-K through 3 crowd, I am pretty sure it would be well received by kids of any age - and grown ups too! Because of the great story it will be appealing to reluctant readers and kids who don't think it is cool to read. It is great for boys and girls. (Personal opinion: I loved this book!)

Appeal: This is a great book to help teach a lesson on individuality, the importance of being yourself, and not to worry too much about fitting in. Because Woolbur (the title character) is a sheep, it would also be a fun way to introduce a lesson about wool, where it comes from, and how it is processed.

Award: Golden Sower nominee.

[Kathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woolbur makes me smile! :-) The illustrations are SO funny and charming and the story conveys an important message. Woolbur is the ultimate "black sheep" non-conformist, much to his parents' chagrin. Why can't he behave like all the other sheep? Woolbur loves to do make everything he does his very own. Wise Grandpaa reminds Maa and Paa not to worry (LOVE Grandpaa!) In the end, Wollbur finds his own way to "fit in" with the rest of the flock.

[babyhippoface · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book would've gotten a full 5 stars from me, were it not for one thing.... (I'll tell ya later.)

Has there ever been a sheep cuter than Woolbur? The answer: no. Definitely the cutest ever. His refrain of, "I know! Isn't it great?" is entirely adorable and spunky.

Woolbur doesn't do the things sheep are supposed to do--at least not in the way the other sheep do them. When he cards his own wool, he cards it while he's still wearing it! When they dye wool, he dyes himself! When they weave, he weaves his own wool (for a groovy sort of woven-dreadlock kind of look). Woolbur just loves doing things his own way. His parents (aptly named Maa and Paa) are very worried about Woolbur, but Grandpaa keeps reminding them that Woolbur will be just fine. And indeed, Grandpaa turns out to be right. Woolbur just marches to the bleat of a different sheep. :)

Okay, the reason I deducted a star: at one point in the story Woolbur dyes his wool bright blue. His maa tells him that it "will never come out." And yet, on the next page, Woolbur is wintery white again. What?? No kid in the world is going to let that slip (no grown-up either, for that matter).

[Donna Mork · Rating 4 out of 5]

Celebrates being different than everyone else.

[Mandi · Rating 5 out of 5]

In short, it’s a funny book about being yourself. But as a mom of a “woolbur”, it was a good reminder that God doesn’t make cookie cutter people. We should all shine as we were created to do ⭐️

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story is so refreshing because feeling different often concerns children. Here, Wilbur the young sheep with a distinct personality and outlook appreciates who he is. He seems to take after his Grandpaa in this regard. In this story, it’s the parents who are worried that their child is not like all the other sheep, but their fears are eventually assuaged. I love how this story is resolved and the story provides a worthy message about enjoying being oneself and about leadership vs. being either an outcast or a follower. This is a great book to read to children who feel uncomfortable feeling different from other children. The repetitive lines and message are soothing, and it’s very entertaining for both adults and young children to read about Grandpaa, Maa, and Paa. This is a terrific read aloud book!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good message, but the story and illustrations lack flair.

[Julie Bihn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story about being yourself...and for the parents, a bit of a "careful what you wish for" as well.

[April Thompson Freeman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expression is everything. Isn't it great?!

[Dawna Rhods · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favorite books. It's ok to be weird and different, this is just another side of normal.

If you get the chance - read it.

[Rose Rosetree · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right away, this book piques my interest with a fabulous visual pun right on the cover: Woolbur is the main character in this picture book. Not only is he proudly portrayed, standing on an upside-down bucket. But he's also a sheep, a sheep who is not your ordinary "Wilbur."

This sheep is shorn, with two balls of highly textured wools as part of his clever crafting.

Turns out, Woolbur might be just a bit of a nonconformist. Right from the first page, readers can tell that Woolbur's problems aren't gimmicky or theoretical, like the idea behind a high concept book. This plot is refreshingly living and breathing and sweating:

"I don't want to stand still with the sheep,"
said Woolbur. "I ran with the dogs instead."

"But those dogs are half wild" said Paa.

"I know," said Woolbur. "Isn't it great?"

His parents want so much for their son to follow the herd. But Woolbur is an experimenter. Isn't that great?

FIVE STARS for a superb book, deftly written by Leslie Helakoski and zanily illustrated by Lee Harper.

[Debra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woolbur, you are one of a kind! This so reminds me of how different each child is from one another - their interests and their personalities. It is what them unique and so valuable. Woodbur "had a little trouble with the herd today." So the story begins. Woolbur runs with the dogs, refuses to be sheared, fluffs out his hair, and jumps into the dye vat emerging as a blue Woolbur. His poor parents are having sleepless night worrying about what he will become. Finally, they sit him down and tell him that he must conform to the herd - be like everyone else! (My heart broke at those words.) But Woolbur came up with a better solution. Make everyone else be like him!

The person I also enjoyed, being on the older side now, was the grandpa who constantly told Woolbur's parents not to worry. Take a closer look at the him and the things he is doing and the articles around him. He is not a go-with-the-crowd sheep either.

[D. Tabish · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are sometimes my kids bring me a book to read and I feel nauseous at the thought of having to read it. While I am reading I have the mental space (because it is so dumb or dull or both) to start wondering how the author got that particular tripe to be accepted by a publisher. Was it nepotism? Did the publisher have a deep-seated resentment of parents from a heart-breaking past? Publisher revenge. How, how did this book make it out into the world? And then there are gems like Woolbur. The enthusiasm of this little sheep bursts from the page. He's so ahead of his parents. Only Grandpa gets it. I recommend it whole-heartedly. The pictures and the words made my kids and I laugh and the writing is so fun, it allowed me to show off my read out loud skills. I may have a future in reading kid books out loud.

[Alexis Fritz]

Woolbur is about a sheep who wants to be like himself, unapologetically but his parents worry about him. They tell him that what he is doing is against what the other sheep are doing and his only response is, "I know, isn't it great?" Finally his parents sit him down and tell him that acting the way the he is, is not good. He needs to be like everyone else. Woolbur decided to shoe everyone to act like him and his parents finally accept that he doesn't think like everyone else and now instead of worry about the way he is acting, they are worried about finding him because every other sheep looks and acts like him.

This is a fun book that shows children to be who they want to be, unapologetically.

[Constance Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good book for two reasons: one it's great to give to parents who are worried about their little oddball. Woolbur's parents are tying themselves in knots with worry which contrasts beautifully with Woolbur's easy confidence in himself. Second, I can never have enough self-esteem and positivity books. Also good for any curriculum studies about "where things come from" since Woolbur and his herd go through the many stages of wool making.

[Dawn Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This refreshing story of a sheep who troubles his parents by dancing to the beat of his own drum, will get children giggling to do the same. The theme is done in an inspiring way. The fun pictures showing Woolbur doing his thing are infectious and relay his joyous innocence. My favorite character in the story is the grandfather. The follow-up story is great too. I'm hoping for more in the series.

[Betsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Basically, Maa and Paa would have preferred a conformist. What they got instead was Woolbur. Woolbur is a sheep that has his own way of doing things. While all the others card the wool set before them, Woolbur cards the wool that's still on his body. If others are spinning wool in front of a spinning wheel, he's riding it. If they're shorn, he's wooly and free. And every time his parents point out that he's not doing what everyone else is, his reaction is, "I know! Isn't that great?" Grandpaa says not to worry but finally, unable to take any more, Woolbur is told that he must herd, shear, card, spin, dye, and weave like everybody else. He ponders the situation. And so, the next morning, EVERYBODY is following Woolbur's lead by carding their own wool, running with the dogs, spinning crazy wool, and so on. And how will they find their son now that everyone is doing the same things that he is? As he sits on a mat trying out new forms of knitting, Grandpaa is quick to repeat once and for all, "Don't worry."

I'm going to be the first person to say that if I pick up the book and the bookflap reads, "If you are a free spirit, this book is for you!" I need to surpress my gag reflex. The term "free spirit" actually, physically, causes my skin to crawl. Small children that run around the library tearing the pages one by one out of picture books as their parents look on with bemused expressions on their faces... THOSE children are called "free spirits". Basically any kid who isn't reprimanded for doing something naughty gets the label of "free spirit" and then some poor elementary school teacher is going to have to be the first one to inform that, in fact, grabbing your classmates food and hitting them with bricks is not socially acceptable behavior. But "Woolbur" for all that it claims to be a book for such children, does not belong in that category. He's not a "free spirit". He's a free thinker, which is entirely different. His methods of attacking a problem are unorthodox, but they are done for a reason. Like a lot of kids, "Woolbur" likes to experiment with the world around him. He doesn't really disobey his parents or his teachers at any point. He just finds a more interesting way to card or to spin than the path others would take. Okay, he doesn't let himself get sheared, and that is wrong, but come the hot summer months he's going to be the one dealing with the hot sticky consequences of that action. Not someone else.

Helakoski's writing is pretty darn upbeat. I really did enjoy that whenever someone told Woolbur that other sheep don't do what he's doing his response is, "I know. Isn't that great?" He's a relentlessly cheery sort of chap. Not the type to brood, really. And I liked his solution to his quandary. He doesn't break the rules one bit. He just leads the pack. After my first reading I thought that the book used repetition just a bit too much. Yet when I read it through a second and third time, I found that the repetition wasn't really a problem. The pictures are always interesting and the tale able to support the repeated lines, so really Helakoski is just setting you up for Woolbur's surprise solution to his parental quandry.

As for the illustrations, it's clear that Mr. Lee Harper's research into wool in all its myriad forms has leaked through into his art. One of the ways you can spot Woolbur in a group scene is that he always has two telltale strands of straw sticking out of his wool at all times. Anyone who has ever carded raw wool knows that your average everyday sheep's ability to work straw deep into their coats is extraordinary. That and the various leaves and flowers also stuck to the little lamb rang magnificently true. Generally, everything Harper has drawn and painted here is right on target. My fiber art knowledge really only extends to carding, spinning, and knitting. I'm not so knowledgeable in the weaving department, but I'm going to give Mr. Harper the benefit of the doubt and believe that he knew what he was doing when he illustrated the loom in Woolbur's weaving class. Plus I loved the little details spotted throughout the book. Things like the bongos and maracas in Woolbur's room, and the fact that he has been recently reading copies of Go, Dog. Go! by P.D. Eastman and The Dot by Peter Reynolds.

Of course, there are some discrepancies here and there. Due to the nature of the story, the things that Woolbur does should directly affect his appearance or his classmates' appearances in the next scene. So when Woolbur is the only sheep not sheared, you expect that the other sheep will remain unsheared in the next sequence where they are all carding wool. Instead, they all look fully wooly. Also, when Woolbur dyes himself a brilliant blue his mother says, "It will never wash out!" but in the next scene is a perfectly white Woolbur weaving his forelock in class. This isn't a huge complaint, but certain kids will definitely notice that one moment doesn't always carry over to the next in this book.

All in all, though, this is a pretty delightful little tale. Fans of sheep, wool, and unconventional forms of education (Montessori schools should be buying this book in bulk) will all be fans of Helakoski and Harper's tale. Accurate where it needs to be accurate and amusing where it needs to be amusing, this one stands apart from the pack.

[Ashley Adkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cute story of a little one who sees the world totally different than Ma and Pa. So sweet and innocent and so very true - adults can learn a lot from children. I really enjoyed their repetition in the story regarding Woolbur's message. I did not love the style of the art but it did accompany the text well.

[Samantha Hanhart · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this book, Woolbur is the "black" sheep of the herd. He doesn't want to do everything just as the other sheep do, but rather he has his own special and unique quirks. A great book on teaching individuality.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this book out because the cover is so joyous. It is about a lamb who is his own person. He doesn't always do what all the other lambs do. The parents worry and the grandfather always says, "Don't worry." The illustration are pretty great!

[Melanie Hetrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woolbur sheep is a bit of a non-conformist. He doesn't like to do the things that the other sheep do. His parents worry about him as he begins school. And there are some problems. In the end Woolbur is able to bring his classmates out of their shells instead of becoming a ...sheep... instead.

[Lynn Davidson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woolbur is a young sheep who doesn't want to do things the way everyone else does them. He finds his own way and doesn't follow what is expected. Given the understanding that he is to be like the other sheep, he makes a decision that affects everybody. Really cute story and illustrations.

[Jeffrey Babbitt · Rating 5 out of 5]

A heartwarming tale for nonconforming everywhere. Woolbur encourages kids to be themselves and even asks the question, If everyone must be the same, why can't they change to be like me? And the art is so ... wooly! Perfect for the story.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

We loved the language that was repeated again and again because once students realized that was happening, they'd join in. This would be a good companion book with Fifty Four Things Wrong Gwendolyn Rogers with respect to the feelings parents have when their child isn't a conformist!

[J. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I liked the sentiment, but this book was so painfully repetitive to read and then the ending really fell flat (the one page without some of the repetition could have elevated the book so much and helped turn it around at the end!)

[Kary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute book about being yourself and standing out in a crowd.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun story about being yourself.

[Linda]

Woolbur isn't quite like the other sheep. He refused to behave like all the other sheep, and finds delight in running with the dogs, growing his wool long, and dying his wool. Finally, Maa and Paa stops fretting to themselves and tells Woolbur that he must act like the other sheep. But, instead of changing himself, he shows the others just how fun it is to break the norms.

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

A hit with the kiddos. We talked about being ourselves and how we were the same but different from even our good friends.