Baa, Baa, Black Sheep

Crying Boy - Bold Sheep

Richardson's illustration shows the young boy covering his face with his arm to hide his tears as befits the alternative line from the rhyme included here.. From the rest of the boy's body language, he appears to be pulling away from the black sheep. The older man, perhaps the boy's father, seems to be acting as the intermediary between the boy, who is obviously upset, and the sheep. The facial expression of this older man does not register any emotion. He is looking at the sheep, and his arm closest to the sheep has a open hand with the palm of the hand extended as if he intends to pat the sheep. The man's other hand holds the boy's arm by the wrist. This gesture conveys the feeling that this man quickly grabbed this upset boy by the wrist to stop him from running away from the sheep. The out turned foot going toward the sheep and other body alignment of the male figure seem to indicate that the man will step toward the sheep and pull the boy along. The black sheep does not appear as placid as the white sheep grazing in the background. The illustrator has made the sheep with his head poking out of the fence and raised which makes him appear larger than the boy. Combining these features with the illustrator's use of red on the sheep's mouth and eyes might make one hesitant about approaching this sheep. The trees on the lane also add to the feeling of trepidation. Even though there are leaves on the branches, the tree's trunks and limbs loom to huge proportions to give a feeling of caution.