I know the animation is so similar between Shaun the Sheep and Wallace and Grommit I actually thought the farmer was Wallace once

This is a really well written prequel to the other books in the City of Ember series. It not only explains how Ember came to be, it also tells a completely different story that eventually leads to the founding of Ember.

I agree, this is a pretty good sequel to the original Cloudy of a Chance of Meatballs movie