: How To Make Something Straight-foward and Dark Into A Kid's Picture Book? Let me explain. My book is about a little boy directed by a "wolf" to burn his farm's sheep. Consequently,

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Your question is: Could this plotline be geared to young children? Honestly, I would deliver a strong no.
Unless you make it more lighthearted like how I suggested in my comments, as Chris answered - it would not be appropriate for young children and no publisher would publish it.
Don't get me wrong, it's still a good idea and it would probably work for older audiences, but it is a touchy topic that is controversial on how to teach to young children. If I were you, I would consider the following:
A: If you absolutely need to publish this for young children, you should make it more lighthearted and subtle, because if you end your book with the mc dying while going to a meatpacking factory you will totally terrify your young audience in an unneeded way.
B: If you care about this topic and decide not to write it for children, you should write a novel for older kids directly addressing it instead of dancing around it with animals and such.
If you do write this book according to point B, you need to do lots of research to make your book as factual as possible.
Does this help?

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No mainstream publisher would publish this as a picture book, because this is not a book that parents would buy for picture-book aged children. A niche publisher MIGHT do it as an ironic art piece in the form of a picture book, but meant for adults, but even that is a stretch.
I think what you are actually contemplating is NOT a picture book, but rather a graphic novel, which is a image-driven work typically aimed at adults. Graphic novelists often gravitate to macabre themes, and your concept wouldn't be out of line with some of the things I've read in that format.
If you do specifically want to target this towards an audience of young children, I would have to ask why, and what you think they would gain from it. Keep in mind, as well, that picture books are not bought by children, but for children, by teachers, parents, and librarians, who tend to be protective and conservative in their book choices.

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