SOLVED. Childrens Picture book: a flock of sheep are required to knit sweaters from their wool, but one would rather garden instead. Read during 1970's. [s]

[Sforster]

I read this book during the 1970's. A flock of sheep has a rather fascist governing body who has determined that all sheep will harvest wool, spin it and knit sweaters. One young lad decides he would rather garden. He is a dreamy, free spirited sort. He inspires the other sheep to explore their interests, but all the sheep painting, gardening etc, threatens the rulers of the flock so they make it illegal to do anything but knit. It is ESPECIALLY forbidden to garden, orThink. One old lady sheep knits a pattern of flowers onto her sweater and tells the Fascist leader sheep that she "THINKS a sweater is a garden!"
For this she is condemned to death.
There is some sort of rebellion, maybe the dreamy, gardener sheep dies too?
And in the end all the sheep ignore the fascists and just do as they please.
No one has to knit, unless they want too.
I know this sounds dark for a picture book, but I liked it a lot when I was 10 years old. The pictures are pretty, not silly, but not overly lush or grand either.

[Rainbowheart]

The Black Sheep

[Rosa]

!!!
I have to read this! I love Jean Merrill (at least, I love The Pushcart War), and this sounds like Animal Farm for the elementary school set. Actually, The Pushcart War was political satire too, so I shouldn't be surprised.
I think I'll start a list of satire for children.

[Rainbowheart]

I never read this one, but I liked Merrill's The Toothpaste Millionaire as a kid.

[Kris]

Added "Read during 1970's." to the topic header. Feel free to update it.

[Sforster]

It is not The Black Sheep.
I am pretty sure the title is something about Sweaters and Gardens, but I cannot find it.

[Kris]

Sforster, do they knit only sweaters?

Are the illustrations: simple or detailed, realistic or cartoon-like, painted watercolors or bold graphics, color or black-and-white? Do they remind you of a similar illustrator or children's author?

Is there a real world location?

[Rainbowheart]

Sforster, are you positive it's not The Black Sheep? I can't think of any other book it might be.

"In 1969, Merrill published The Black Sheep. It tells the story of Basalt, a black sheep with a taste for gardening who is born amongst a society of white sheep who shear themselves and knit sweaters from the wool to keep warm. Eventually Basalt's non-conformity drives the white sheep to banish him from their society. The rigid conformity of the society, however, becomes increasingly unwieldy and drives them to accept both Basalt and freedom of thought."

https://www.etsy.com/listing/72631668...

[Sforster]

I was wrong, and you are correct: It IS The Black Sheep.
I just did not read an adequate description.
Yay! I found it!
You helped me find it!

[Rainbowheart]

Awesome, glad it was the right one after all!