The First Christmas Sweater (and the Sheep Who Changed Everything) by Ryan Tubridy
Published by Walker Books US on September 10th 2019
ISBN: 153621132X
Pages: 144
Goodreads

It was inevitable that someone would write a book about the ubiquitous “Ugly Christmas Sweater.” Hilary is the only sheep with rainbow colored wool in this Irish flock. So when Santa wants the perfect sheep’s wool for a sweater, Hilary is a shoo-in for the honor. Silly puns (and some are rather clever) abound throughout the book. The black-lined illustrations add to the comical story, as do the supporting characters, such as a jelly-bean-obsessed farmer, a starling named Didya, and a naughty sheep named Brian. But Hilary (and of course Santa!) is the star of the show, and this would be a fun readaloud to share during the holiday season. You can also incorporate a cursory geography lesson. “A Brief History of the Christmas Sweater” relates the origins of the Christmas sweater’s Scandinavian origins.

Reviewed by Barb Rehmeyer, Liberty Library, and Liberty.