Erik, an Icelandic sheep with red wool, arrives at the sheep farm one day. After listening to a little girl’s stories about the Vikings, he starts to imagine that he is Erik the Viking Sheep, with “a splendid cloak and a fierce helmet,” a sword and shield. When he begins sharing his stories of a raid by Viking sheep, the other sheep get bored and tell him to go away. Then Erik has an unexpected swim in the pond, which makes the other sheep laugh and forgive him for being such a bore. After a few days, some of the lambs start asking him to tell his Viking sheep stories again, and before too long, he is the best storyteller in the flock.

First-time author Elizabeth Creith, who raises Icelandic sheep, combines information on this breed with a lighthearted story about finding a place in the world. The language is at the appropriate level, explaining such concepts as the Icelandic breed, a quarantine, and Viking raids simply and clearly. (A quibble: In two places, Erik, who is named by the little girl after Erik the Red, is spelled Eric.) The happy ending and the splash that causes it are sure to please the preschool and kindergarten set.

Linda Hendry’s watercolour paintings are delightful, with some amusing facial expressions and a lot of background detail. In different parts of the book, she captures both the stillness of the pasture and the motion of a Viking ship, yet maintains continuity from one page spread to the next.