The Flock

Probing the tension between conformity and independence, del Mazo offers this uneven story about a sheep who dares to break the rules. At bedtime, young human Mike counts the sheep in his assigned personal flock, but when number four becomes “sick of jumping,” the other sheep do their best to persuade their stubborn peer. Their efforts are more querulous than comic (“You’ll be branded a wayward sheep! You’ll bring shame upon the whole flock!”), but Four remains resolute—until a mustachioed postman arrives with a game-changing letter from still-awake Mike that propels Four to make a decision. Though an abrupt final page reveals Mike’s letter, the contents don’t quite clarify the story’s resolution. Throughout, plain backdrops provide human characters’ skin tones, and scribbly sketches by Guridi depict the rule-following animals with simple features and stick legs. Ages 3–7. (Apr.)