THE BAABAASHEEP QUARTET

Say the title out loud, and you’ll get the gist of this tale about four retired sheep who embark on a new career. Woolcott, Lambert, Eugene and Waylon have trouble fitting in after they move from the farm to the big city, as somehow, no matter how nattily they dress—and they really do cut dashing figures in Watts’ refined, Jazz Age–era settings—they draw stares wherever they go. Nor do their efforts to land jobs as gardeners, knitters or lawn bowlers end happily. Then Waylon finds a strategically damaged poster announcing a singing contest, and the stage is set for a triumphal debut. Even young readers may find the sheep’s instant and enthusiastic acceptance by human audiences a little too easy—but the notion that artists should be judged by their art, not their appearance, is always worth considering. (Picture book. 6-8)