Charlie Needs a New Cloak by Tomie dePaola is a charming book that tells about how Charlie the shepherd makes himself a new cloak. Through the book, young readers are introduced to cloth making and learn words specific to that process like “shear,” “card,” “spin,” “weave,” and “sew.” The colorful illustrations of Charlie and his helpful sheep add humor and whimsy to the simple story of a shepherd making a cloak.