Barnaby the Runaway Sheep, written by Maria Antonia and illustrated by Sayani Mukherjee, is a endearing picture book about a sheep who must learn to trust his shepherds. Barnaby is afraid of having his wool snipped so he does everything he can to avoid it. First, he plays hide and seek. Then, he gets wet! Finally, he runs away to a cave. Over time, his wool gets really puffy, and he misses home. Finally, the shepherds come looking for him. When they find him, they carry him home. The shepherds lovingly cut Barnaby’s wool and give him grass to eat. Barnaby is so happy that he does a wiggle dance! This sweet story is a variation of the biblical parable of the lost sheep and will show your child how to face their fears by trusting in God for help. The back matter includes fascinating facts about sheep, a Bible reference, and a real-life connection to help children understand that sheep must have their wool sheared once a year.

Read: Barnaby the Runaway Sheep by Maria Antonia

Discuss:

1. What is Barnaby afraid of? (Getting his wool snipped)
2. What does Barnaby do to avoid a haircut? (Plays hide and seek, gets wet, and runs away to a cave)
3. What happens to his wool? (It gets really big and puffy)
4. Who comes to find Barnaby? (The shepherds)
5. When he finally gets his haircut, how does it feel? (It feels good! He does a wiggle dance)
6. Have you ever been afraid to do something that once you tried it wasn’t really that scary? What was it? (various)
7. Who can we trust to help us when we are afraid? (God. He is our Good Shepherd)

Do:

Activity Possibilities:

• Take turns with your child pretending to be Barnaby and play hide and seek.
• Make a Play-Dough lamb and “trim his wool.”
• Hide stuffed animal lambs around your house and pretend to be the shepherd that goes and searches for them. Children will enjoy hiding the stuffed animals as well as looking for them.
• Put on some music and do a wiggle dance!
• Make lamb craft using a paper plate for the body and construction paper for the head, legs, and tail. Glue cotton balls on it for the wool.

For more Sheep Theme crafts and ideas, check out this curated Pinterest Board.

National Sheep Day!

Today is the perfect day to check out Barnaby the Runaway Sheep: March 13th is National Sheep Day!

GIVEAWAY!

Leave a comment on this post by March 17 to be entered into our giveaway for a copy of Barnaby the Runaway Sheep.

Mindy Baker resides in Indiana where she is a high school Spanish teacher. She is the author of Mouse’s Christmas Gift, Zonderkidz 2018, and has contributions in several 2023 and 2024 Guideposts publications. She recently signed a contract with Chicken Scratch Books for a middle grade novel to be published in December of 2025. You can connect online with Mindy here. She also has a mini-magazine for parents, grandparents, and other caregivers of children. You can sign up to receive it here.