Hannah E. Harrison The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep Children’s Picture Book

Sweet little book

It’s a very sweet little book- the only problem was when I opened i, the first page was folded back and slightly torn - not in the condition for gift giving.

The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep

This is one of the best children’s book I’ve ever read!

Kathryn Mcilwraith

July 9, 2026

Lighthearted book with a timeless message

The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep by Hannah E. Harrison is a child-friendly retelling of the parable of the lost sheep, found in Matthew 18 and Luke 15. The book also draws on the truths of Psalm 23 to show that God is our Shepherd.

The story is told from the perspective of a sheep named George. George knows that he can do very little on his own and relies on the shepherd for protection and guidance. Yet, he decides to leave his shepherd for a time.

Once George is on his own, he realizes just how desperately he needs the shepherd.

With humorous illustrations and a lighthearted tone, this book beautifully explains that our Good Shepherd will always welcome us back into the fold, despite our stubbornness and wandering.

We greatly enjoyed this book, and I recommend it for all families. I believe children as young as 2 years old can understand and enjoy the story.

Buy it !!! So worh it !

I would buy again ! So beautifully written and the illustrations are so beautiful and classic . My 4 years old and I love to read it while memorizing psalm 23 .

Obsessed!

The sweetest book! Beautifully written and illustrated!

Will be buying more from this Author!!

I LOVE this book. The illustrations capture the emotions of the story, beautifully. The author did a fantastic job telling the story of Psalm 23, in way that shows the emotions of a prodigal being rescued by his Savior.

A sheep thinks he knows what’s best and doesn’t want to listen to the shepherd to have his hair cut. He runs away, finds himself in trouble and the kind shepherd saves him.

As an adult, I cried when I read this book.

My children love this book.

Beloved classic and tear-jerker!

Loved this book and so did my children. It got me and my husband crying by the end. We loved it and would definitely recommend and gift it to others!

Cried reading this with my kids

My oldest son (7) read this book by himself first. And then afterward he said to me, “mom that was a good book. I liked it. I almost cried.” And then I read it together with all 3 of my sons. Can I just say, I have never cried so much reading a picture book with my kids 😭 It resonated so much to me, and I was also thinking of my boys. It’s so well written, and the illustration is beautiful. I would give it more than 5 stars if I could. Highly recommend this book for all parents and kids.

Love this book!

Excellent book for all ages. Beautiful artwork and wonder story, illustrating the metaphor of God's love for us as our "shepherd". Love how she ends the book with Psalm 23. This is one of the best Christian children's book I've ever read.

10/10

One of our favorite children's books we own. Touching story, mixed with interesting facts about sheep, and beautiful illustrations. So cute and a great reminder to us all as adults too.

A Great Way to Teach a Parable!

This book is a wonderful reminder of the parable of the lost sheep. Kids will find George (the sheep) to be relatable and fun, and they will learn important lessons about why sheep should always obey their shepherds. Most importantly, parents can use this book to teach children about how much the Good Shepherd loves them. This book is adorable!

J. Porter

March 30, 2025

AWESOME Depiction Our Good, Good Shepherd! Highly Recommend!

Absolutely WONDERFUL!!! This beautiful depiction of God and what a loving Shepherd He is in our lives is fun, with a clear message of trusting our Good Shepherd and as the author shares…it’s a simple but very effective depiction of Psalm 23. I am a mother of 3 grown children and 5 grandchildren. I will definitely share this delightful book with them and with friends! As a fellow artist, the illustrations are GORGEOUS and so sweet! Thank you, Hannah E. Harrison for the gift of this masterpiece of God’s love for us.

God Loves Us!

The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep was such a great read. My daughter and I read this book and it explained to her how God loves her. Although we may start from Him at times, He still loves us. We can’t run too far from Him. He’ll always be there waiting for us!

Excellent book, great story and wonderful illustrations!

We love this book, I'm so glad I ordered it! I think it is very well written, being easy for kids to understand yet interesting enough to keep them captivated and following along attentively. The illustrations are beautiful and go perfectly with the story. It has a really positive and uplifting ending which we as a family really appreciate.

In my opinion this is a great book by a talented author/artist. If you're looking for a children's gift I think this would be an excellent choice. I highly recommend it.

Cute engaging read

Such a cute read for my kids! Loved the artwork!

Dave

February 22, 2025

Simple, Heartwarming Tale of God's Love

This is a beautifully illustrated and imaginative retelling of the parable of the lost sheep from the perspective of a sheep named George. When it’s time for shearing, George decides not to follow the shepherd’s command but to go his own way, leading to all sorts of problems.

The text and story are easy to follow and understand for a range of ages. The principles are timeless and relatable. This kept my kids' interest, from the youngest (2) to the oldest (12), which is no small feat.

We truly enjoyed this book and will be on the lookout for other titles by this author!

Adorable book!

What a beautiful book! The story is very cute and heartwarming and the illustrations are breathtaking! After receiving my copy, I purchased 5 more to give as gifts. I can't wait to read it to all the kids at our church.

Shelbie Kirkpatrick

February 5, 2025

Heart explodes!

Beautifully illustrated and written. What a simple way of explaining to children what Christ does for us when He saves. This book was good for my kiddos, but was also a good read for me as a parent! Must buy!

Heartwarming and Tender

Scripture Connection

Harrison’s delightful picture book invites young readers into the biblical metaphor of the Good Shepherd, fleshing out the ideas presented in Psalm 23. The first portion of the book emphasizes the silliness of the sheep and their tendency to get themselves into trouble, when left to their own devices. In the second part of the book, we see this happen to George when he decides that he would rather not participate in the seasonal shearing. When all seems lost, the Good Shepherd comes to his rescue.

After the story, there’s a page with the complete text of Psalm 23, as well as a list of additional Scripture references about shepherds and sheep. Such an excellent resource!

What I Liked

Narrative

Harrison’s narrative is well-suited to its intended audience, as the book begins with some simple explanations about sheep and how they behave. Readers learn that sheep are disaster-prone, especially when following the example of a bad leader. For instance, we see the whole herd of sheep following Mabel (who has an especially “terrible sense of direction”) over a cliff.

George’s narration is humorous in its directness, and endearing in its innocence. The little lamb is matter-of-fact, and his adorable illustration makes him even more likable. George presents his adventure with humility, sharing about his helplessness in a very scary situation– and the goodness of the Good Shepherd.

I really appreciate the versatility of the story. While The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep is marketed as a depiction of Psalm 23, it is also beautifully illustrative of various other passages about the Good Shepherd. For instance, illustrations show that the Good Shepherd left behind the other sheep to find George when he went “astray” (see Isaiah 53:6, also cited as the book’s epigraph). We also see the Good Shepherd carrying George (Isaiah 40:11), and we see him rescuing George from a wolf (John 10:12).

Of course, the emphasis on Psalm 23 is also strong. George describes his relationship with the Good Shepherd on the last page, with language that clearly echoes the words of David. Powerfully, the final illustration shows that the wolf is still lurking in the shadows (likely an allusion to the “valley of the shadow of death”), but the lambs follow the Good Shepherd– safe and secure as long as they are with him.

Illustrations

Harrison is author and Illustrator of this positively delightful children’s book, and her heartwarming illustrations bring out not only the words, but also the soul, of the story. George is absolutely adorable and sure to tug at the reader’s heartstrings. While lambs are generally cute to begin with, George stands out for his darling expressions of innocence and trust.

Harrison’s art also capitalizes on the story’s humor: in the scene with the lambs dog-piling on Mabel, or “nervously running around in a clump.” My favorite humorous illustration is the scene where George decides that he “looks pretty good” at shearing time. Spoiler: He looks ridiculous.

But, my favorite scene of all is the moment of rescue. Muddied and wet, George snuggles under the Good Shepherd’s vest. This moment especially catches my attention because of the fond memories it evokes for me of cuddling with my dogs. And, the depiction of complete dependence is so beautiful.

Recommendation Status

Scriptures about the Good Shepherd are some of my very favorite in the Bible (and John 10 is the life-changing passage my mom shared with me that led to my becoming a Christian)! And it’s hard to beat the adorableness of a picture book with a lamb for a protagonist.

Tender and heartfelt, The Good Shepherd and the Stubborn Sheep is an absolutely lovely depiction of the Christian life: demonstrating our dependence on Jesus and His goodness, kindness, and faithfulness. Rich thematic content and irresistible illustrations make this a great choice for readers of all ages, and especially as a family read.

Disclosure: I received a complimentary copy of the book from the publisher. Opinions expressed are my own.

Cute, funny with the BEST message.

My kiddos loved it! We love the hilarious and descriptive faces George makes as he is telling his story! The comedy of this book effortlessly flows into the wonderful lesson of the good Shepard! This book brought tears to my eyes and I found myself relating with this stubborn sheep. What a wonder concept for young children to grasp!

Absolute Best Gospel story in a Children’s Book!!

Author Hannah E. Harrison has done an absolutely beautiful job of displaying the gospel in such a way so that parent and child alike will be truly moved. Not going to lie I was crying by the end!

It tracks a mischievous sheep named George who runs away from the Good Shepherd and soon finds life on his own is not as glamorous as he thought. He succeeds in making quite a mess of things until the Good Shepherd finds George and beautifully rescues and restores him!

My favorite part…”I couldn’t believe it!

I hadn’t listened.

I’d run away.

And still, he rescued me!

ME - a helpless, lost sheep covered in muck!

I’d never been so happy, or so grateful!

He put me on his shoulders and he carried me home.”

And that’s just part of it! 🙂 It’s not often a book comes along that is such an aid to parents in shepherding the hearts of their little ones. This is worth the investment!

This book is phenomenal

I absolutely love this book and it is now my children’s favorite to read before bed! If you have children, grand children, nieces or nephews I highly recommend this book for them. Such a great example of Psalm 23. And a great way to introduce conversation with kiddos!!