Baabwaa is a sheep who loves to knit. Wooliam is a sheep who loves to read. It sounds a bit boring, but they like it. Then, quite unexpectedly, a third sheep shows up. A funny-looking sheep who wears a tattered wool coat and has long, dreadfully decaying teeth. Wooliam, being well-read, recognizes their new acquaintance: the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing! The wolf is so flattered to discover his literary reputation precedes him that he stops trying to eat Baabwaa and Wooliam. And a discovery by the sheep turns the encounter into an unexpected friendship.
Identifying the beginning, middle, and ending sounds in spoken words like dog or sit
Saying new words by changing the beginning sound, like changing rat to sat
Starting to match words they hear to words they see on the page
Sounding out simple words
Starting to recognize some words by sight without having to sound them out
Asking and answering who, what, where, when, why, and how questions about a story
Retelling a story in order, using words or pictures
Predicting what happens next in a story
Your child likely will learn all the letters and their sounds this year. Some combinations of letters are still tricky for children to hear but they’re learning all the time. By making these connections, your child can also start to write and decode some easy words and begin reading short books to you. Their comprehension of what’s going on in the more complex stories you are reading to them will help them understand the simple stories they can read themselves. Continuing to read to your child, even when they’re able to read, will give you both a chance to talk about more complicated books and continue the beautiful relationship you started together 5 years ago. Reading together can still be the very best part of the day for you and your child!
Click here to see a full list of milestones for your 5-year-old as well as tips and activities for you and your child!
Why did we select this book?
This picture book was written in nearby New Hampshire and illustrated in a studio right here in Maine. Raising Readers likes to "graduate" their readers at age 5 with a special book by a Maine creator and with the reassurance that their library offers hundreds of picture books for them to take home. Just like Baabwaa and Wooliam and their new friend the wolf, books will open up a world to new ideas and new friendships.
