New book rams home the remarkable story of Chris the sheep - and his 41 kg fleece

Jackie Hosking reckons she might have been one of only a handful of people who hadn’t heard the story of Chris the sheep – the merino ram who was found in the bush near Canberra in 2015 and ended up setting a record for the world’s heaviest fleece.

The children’s book author was living on Victoria’s surf coast and was preoccupied following the publication of her first picture book for children, The Croc and the Platypus, which, she said, ironically featured a sheep’s fleece for a tent.

But she was to become very familiar with Chris and his fleece after she was selected by the National Museum of Australia (NMA) to write a children’s book about him – A Woolly Tale.

Chris’s remarkable story of survival made news around the world, so when he was rescued and finally shorn by champion shearer Ian Elkins, the NMA acquired his 41.1-kilogram fleece in 2016.

Based on the length of the fleece, it was estimated Chris hadn’t been shorn for five years.

His fleece is on display at the NMA in Canberra – and the new book is the third in a series produced by the museum and inspired by the stories in its Discovery Centre.

A Woolly Tale follows the life and adventures of Chris, the world’s woolliest sheep, brought to life with striking illustrations by Paul Lalo of Soymilk Studio through a distinctive 3D collage style.

In the book, Chris, who is nervous about his first shearing, escapes into the bush. At first, he enjoys his new life among the gum trees, but as the years go by, his fleece grows heavier and heavier. His journey into the unknown takes a turn when he encounters a wily dingo. Is the dingo there to help Chris overcome his fears? Can Chris find his way back to the farm? Will he become the world’s woolliest sheep?

“Originally, I thought I might have him do something out of this world, like travelling to space, but then opted for a more plausible story,” Ms Hosking said.

“I researched merino sheep and learned that they do not shed their wool and that they are foragers and eat a variety of plants, not just grass. These facts helped shape the story: one, that, of course, his fleece would keep growing, and two, he’d be able to survive away from the sheep station.”

She said her aim in writing the book was for her young readers to see Chris “as a courageous sheep, nervous at first but strong and determined in the end. And although he does run away in the beginning, he uses that time away to get to know himself until he feels brave enough to face his fears”.

Asked why she thought Chris captured so many hearts across the world, Ms Hosking said: “I guess the fact that he survived against the odds. A great message to keep on keeping on. A message of hope.”

Illustrator Paul Lalo said a lot of effort went into making Chris’s wool feel real and central to the story.

“My goal was for readers to feel like they could almost reach out and touch his fleece. I hope readers enjoy the story and illustrations as much as I enjoyed illustrating this delightful tale,” he said.

Director of the NMA, Katherine McMahon said Chris, a beloved Canberra character, became an international media story after his fleece was recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s “heaviest sheep fleece”, breaking records previously set in New Zealand by 12 kg.

“It’s wonderful to bring this touching fictional story to life for a new generation of children,” Ms McMahon said.

After recovering at the RSPCA, Chris was adopted and lived on a farm near Canberra until he died in October 2019.