Barnaby the Runaway Sheep: Book Review & Giveaway

Paraclete Press recently released a cute picture book, Barnaby the Runaway Sheep: A Parable of the Lost Sheep. This fictional story addresses fear, loneliness, courage, and trust.

Let’s take a peek inside.

About the Author of Barnaby the Runaway Sheep

Maria Antonia not only teaches young children but also writes for them. She’s written stories for several children’s magazines, including Clubhouse Jr. and Spider.

Barnaby the Runaway Sheep is her second children’s book published by Paraclete Press.

Antonia also enjoys tea, traveling, and taking photos. Having lived in Spain and New York, she now calls Canada home.

About Barnaby the Runaway Sheep

Barnaby is a young lamb who loves his life on the farm with the “tall shepherd” (the Farmer) and the “small shepherd” (the Farmer’s son).

But Barnaby gets nervous when he hears about his first shearing day and runs away. The shepherd searches for him, but Barnaby continues to hide. As time passes, his wool grows uncomfortably thick. And he misses his life with the shepherds.

Eventually, Barnaby answers when he hears the shepherd calling him. He is rescued, sheared, fed, and loved on. He learns that running away from the shepherd did not turn out as he expected, nor did the haircut!

Extra Info

The last three pages of this 32-page hardcover picture book contain extra information. The author tells readers they can find another story about a lost sheep in the Bible and references Luke 15:3-7. Antonio also comments on how we can sometimes be like Barnaby and how the Good Shepherd, Jesus, comes looking for us.

Scriptures are not included within the story about Barnaby. However, these last few pages of the book include John 10:14 and Proverbs 3:5, which are printed for readers. The scriptures printed in the book are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition. The selected scriptures align with the KJV, NKJV, and ESV translations.

The back of the book also includes five facts about sheep and shepherds. Plus, there’s a true story about a sheep who ran away and hid in a cave for six years. Children will be surprised when they see his photo!

In addition, the illustrator, Sayani Mukherjee, did a beautiful job with the illustrations, using vibrant colors and facial expressions (for humans and animals) that kids will surely enjoy.

Fun Free Resources to Use with Barnaby

Paraclete Press is offering a free download of an activity packet to use with this book. Cute illustrations are used for coloring sheets, activity pages, a sheep finger puppet, a board game, and more! You’ll find this fun freebie at https://barnabytherunawaysheep.com/.

You’ll also find a delightful recipe for Sheep Pancakes at the author’s website: mariaantoniawrites.com.

Recommendation & Giveaway

Barnaby the Runaway Sheep is a sweet story that imparts gentle truths. It is best suited for ages four through seven, but the back matter may appeal to readers who are a little older. Faith-based educators will appreciate the extra information provided at the back of the book. Little ones will find Barnaby a loveable and relatable character.

We have a copy of this book to give away. Thank you, Paraclete Press!

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Motivated by the power of story, history, and His Story, Sally Matheny’s passion is telling the next generation wondrous things.

Her nonfiction writing appears in worldwide, national, and regional publications including Appleseeds, Clubhouse Jr., Homeschooling Today, and The Old Schoolhouse.

She and her husband live in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains and are blessed with three children, two sons-in-law, and armfuls of grandbabies. Connect with Sally on several social media sites, but her favorite hangouts are at SallyMatheny.com and Pinterest.