Creepy Sheepy

Creepy Sheepy is a silly, playful Halloween story that follows Sleepy Sheepy as he insists on being the "scariest, hairiest werewolf" for trick-or-treating. Sheepy is determined to stand out, but things don’t go as planned; the costume doesn’t fit right, and almost every other kid is wearing the same outfit. Eventually, Sheepy abandons the costume entirely and goes out in pajamas, calling himself a sleepwalking sheep. The story is full of rhymes and clever wordplay, making it fun to read aloud, and it delivers a Halloween vibe that young children will enjoy. The book also touches on the idea of individuality and trying to march to your own beat, even if it means things don’t go perfectly.

I read this book before reading it aloud to kids, and thankfully, I did, because while it’s cute and fun, it may encourage entitled behavior, especially from kids who already have an issue with behavior, like pitching fits until you get exactly what you want, which Sleepy Sheepy does multiple times.

I would not fully recommend this as a teaching tool for behavior, but as a playful and seasonal story, it’s entertaining. When reading to kids, I emphasized that the behavior depicted is bad, which they understood. The illustrations by Pete Oswald are adorable, capturing Sleepy Sheepy’s emotions perfectly, as always, which is the strongest part of the book. Kids I read it to loved the characters and the silly situations, even if I personally cringed a bit at Sheepy’s stubbornness. My favorite part is when Sheepy finally embraces being himself by trick-or-treating in pajamas; it’s a funny, sweet moment that shows a small lesson about creativity and confidence, even if the plot is a little chaotic.