Don’t read for empathy, read so you can bring your sheep to school.

Heartwarming, hyper-local news reports about kids and books are definitely my beat—and reader, this is the one: KCCI Des Moines is reporting that an elementary school student in Johnston, Iowa—simply named “Eric”—was able to bring six of his favorite sheep to school to meet his friends. How? Why? Because the animal-loving fifth grader completed the reading challenge laid out for him by Wallace Elementary Principal Suzie Pearson.

And everyone—the sheep, Eric, his fellow students, me, probably Principal Pearson—was happy.