ALA Booklist (Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 CST 2017)

Much admired by the other sheep on the farm, Lola spends hours cleaning and brushing her lustrous wool. But one hot day, all the sheep are shorn. Feeling embarrassed without her wool, Lola walks away to be alone. Gradually, her wool grows back into a messy tangle. An egg falls from a nest into the soft wool on her head. Lola awakens to find a little bird, who becomes her playful companion. But when hot weather comes, the bird flies off to see the world, and Lola returns to the farm for her annual haircut. Adding gentle humor and a good deal of quirky charm to the precisely worded text, the illustrations show the sheep walking on two legs, sitting on furniture, and drinking from glasses with straws. Whether it's the soft, tangled texture of her wool, the colorful, balloonlike crowns of trees, or the eloquence of Lola's expressions, kids will find plenty to enjoy in the artwork. A pleasing choice for reading aloud in the classroom, the library, or the home.

Horn Book (Tue Aug 01 00:00:00 CDT 2017)

Farm sheep Lola is sad to be shorn and even sadder when her wool grows in messy. But that wool provides a nest of sorts for a feathered friend--and friendship is more important than good looks, after all. The text's assured voice should make for an engaging read-aloud. Colorful, swirly art with thickly outlined figures creates a stained glasslike look.

Kirkus Reviews

One vain sheep with a gorgeous head of hair plus an egg that needs a place to hatch equals a dandy tale of self-acceptance. Lola spends endless hours attending to her wool so it is never tangled. She struts her ovine stuff through the farmyard, where she enjoys the adoration of the other sheep. Imagine her shock when she is shorn in the spring! She is embarrassed without her wool and disappointed when it grows back wild, messy, and tangled! She is devastated. Her preoccupation keeps Lola from noticing when a small egg falls from a tree onto her new, matted tresses. When the egg hatches into a sweet chick, Lola gains a friend—one who loves Lola's ample, messy wool. Droll illustrations, in translucent greens and blues with relaxed lines barely holding in the color, are sure to bring a chuckle to young lap listeners. They will enjoy noticing that some of the earlier spreads are repeated later in the book, but with subtle changes. One repeated scene of Lola's living room shows the same dresser with a vase of red flowers, but this time the painting on the wall is not of Lola with a medal around her perfect neck but with her crazy hair lovingly holding her new friend. Merino's airy style reflects the light message of the book: celebrate yourself and enjoy your imperfections. (Picture book. 3-8)