Kid Review – Barnaby the Runaway Sheep – picture book

Antonia, Maria. Barnaby The Runaway Sheep: a parable of the lost sheep. Illustrated by Sayani Mukherjee. Brewster, MA: Paraclete Press, 2025.

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Summary

Barnaby loves life on the farm, except for when his shepherds want to snip, snip, snip away his wool. As the clippers draw near, Barnaby’s fears bubble up like a storm. Why does anyone need his wool? Follow Barnaby on a journey of courage and discovery as he learns to trust his shepherds.

Purchase Barnaby The Runaway Sheep on Amazon – https://amzn.to/4jK0UgR

My Kid Review

Maria Antonia is a new-to-me author. I loved her latest book Barnaby the Runaway  Sheep. She has put a bit of a modern twist on the Biblical parable of the Lost Sheep, making the characters a more modern shepherd and his son and the setting a more modern-day farm. She re-tells the story in a way children will understand. 

She includes all  of the elements of the Biblical story but also gives a reason why the sheep left the flock to begin with. In a way, this story helps to show that even things in our life that we may not like, may actually be good for us. 

Antonia closes the book by relating the story to the Biblical parable, asking some questions, and including a real life connection.

Mukherjee’s colorful illustrations complement the text well and help young readers visualize the story. 

Barnaby The Runaway Sheep would make a great addition to the picture book section of a K-12 Christian school library. It is appropriate for preschoolers and early elementary children.

I received a complimentary copy of Barnaby The Runaway Sheep. This is my honest review.

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