Sheep & Wool Festival

Baaab and I have our suitcases packed. We're heading for the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival, Saturday and Sunday, October 21 and 22 in Rhinebeck, NY. Merritt Bookstore is putting on Tales of Yarn storytimes and selling all manner of sheep books. C'mon over!

Board books galore

One of the nice things about the sheep books is seeing new versions of old friends. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt has brought four of them out with a new look, and Costco is selling Sheep Trick or Treat as part of a Halloween set. The sheep are pleased to see these sturdy new editions--and the good company they're in in their box of books.

Sheep Festival 2016

Baaab and I returned to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival October 15 and 16, an extravaganza of handsome ovines, knitwear, yarn, weaving, and books. Susanna Hill, Iza Trapani, John Churchman, and I told stories with Merritt Bookstore at the Tales of Yarn spot. Great to meet with sheep enthusiasts again!

John reads Brave Little Finn.

Iza helps Susanna tell Can't Sleep Without Sheep.

Susanna, me, and Sheep in a Jeep.

Cecily takes the wheel--undoubtedly driving better than the sheep she replaced.

The Joy of Colleagues

A special treat about being a children's author is the company of other authors. I recently got to be on a Celebration of Children's Books panel at Siena Heights University in Adrian, Michigan with   Debbie Diesen, Debbie Gonzales, Maripat Perkins, Shutta Crum, and Lisa Wheeler, and it was a delight to hear them talk about their craft and to meet SHU students.

Before the program: me, organizer Sally Kruger, authors Debbie Gonzales. Debbie Diesen, Lisa Wheeler, Shutta Crum, Maripat Perkins, and English Program Chair Matthew Barbee

Coming up, a return to the New York State Sheep and Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, New York, on October 15 and 16, where I will join Iza Trapani and Susanna Hill in Tales of Yarn--we'll all tell sheep stories. John Churchman will be there with The SheepOver. Thanks to Merritt Books of Millbrook for putting this on.

Susanna, Iza, and me.

Road Trip, Part 3

A special pleasure of visiting the D. C. area is the chance to work with An Open Book Foundation, which brings authors and illustrators into area schools and provides a free book to each student in the classes they visit. I got to talk to the fourth graders of Wheaton Woods Elementary in Rockville, MD, about Elena's Story, in which a Guatemalan girl reads to her brother and mother. Quite a few of the Wheaton Woods students read to their families, too. I got to read stories some students wrote after the program, and signed everyone's books.

Thanks, An Open Book, for these gifts!

These writers got right to work.

A chance for conversation

Diana Rojas and Janet Zwick of An Open Book Foundation, which organized the visit.

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Road Trip, Part 2

I am always happy to meet sheep on my travels. I visited Mount Vernon in May for the first time. Besides learning that George Washington was his own architect--and that the stately mansion is faced with wood, mocked up to look like stone with varnish, sand, and paint--I didn't know how much of an innovator he was in farming. He studied up on crop rotation, composting, and what breeds of animals worked best. He had some Leicester sheep, known for the fine quality of their wool, and some rather-more-assorted-looking creatures. The ones in the rail-fenced pasture had goat-like faces.

Luckily, there was someone I could ask--a demonstrator who explained that the motley sheep had come from Hog Island, a barrier island off Virginia where Europeans had put them in the 18th century. The Hog Island sheep are rare and are re-enactor flocks for Mount Vernon and Colonial Williamsburg. Maybe they could have historical misadventures with my crew.

Road Trip, Part 1

We enjoyed the Gaithersburg Book Festival so much last year, we made the 500-mile trip again, and despite the mud and rain, we were glad we made it. Here are some pictures from the May 21 event:

My sister Elly Shaw-Belblidia and I got to introduce author-illustrator Timothy Young and watch him draw what comes out of a box.

Timothy was paired with Steve Light, who drew the ship from his new book Swap.

A sign-language interpreter helped Cece Bell and Aaron Reynolds introduce Chuck and Woodchuck and President Squid.

CSpan recorded E. J. Dionne's interview on his new book.

Longbourn author Jo Baker and The Race for Paris author Meg Waite Clayton talked about their new novels on Paris in World War II.

All in all, a good day to get under a tent and listen to book people!

Coming March 1

Look what showed up on my porch--two new board-book editions will be out March 1.

The Giving Season

Southeast Michigan children's-book fans have a large line-up of authors and illustrators to meet this Saturday, December 5, from 1-4 p.m. at the Orion Township Public Library, Lake Orion, MI 48362. This book fair features the picture-book debut of the library's own Kris Remenar, Groundhog's Dilemma. It's illustrated by Kris's husband, Matt Faulkner. Here's the line-up: http://orionlibrary.org/author-illustrator-fair/ Baaab and I hope to see you there.

Hanging out at the bookstore

Baaab is tickled to find some of his favorites at Literati Bookstore. Today is the day to give a boost to the businesses in your community--and take advantage of the customer service that independent bookstores can give.

Small Business Saturday

Baaab doesn't think much of Black Friday, or shopping on Thanksgiving, but he likes the idea of visiting a friendly bookstore on Small Business Saturday, November 28. He's going to help out at Literati in Ann Arbor. I'm reading a couple of stories at 11 a.m. Please come if you're in the neighborhood, and if you're not, here's a handy way to find your closest independent bookstore:
IndieStorefinder.

Autumn Travels with Baaab the Sheep

The Bacon Free Library in Natick, MA

Baaab visits the Bacon Free Library for story time and meets Children's Librarian Fran Daneault and Director Meena Jain.

The Merritt Bookstore in Millbrook, NY, geared up for the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival. We stopped by in the middle of preparations.

Merritt Bookstore staff at the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival stayed busy!

Susanna Hill & Iza Trapani read their sheep books at the festival.

Baaab had heard so much about the festival! At last, he got to greet sheep enthusiasts from all over.

Road trip

Baaab the sheep and I are heading to  New England and New York State. If you're in the area, please stop by at the Bacon Free Library in Natick, MA, on Tuesday, October 13 for story hour at 10 a.m. If you're a fan of sheep in general, you will love the New York State Sheep & Wool Festival in Rhinebeck, NY on Saturday and Sunday, October 17-18. Knitting, weaving, demonstrations, sheep in a whole lot of breeds--and sheep authors Susanna Hill and Iza Trapani. We'll be reading and signing our books.

Horn Book review of Sheep Go to Sleep

The Horn Book Magazine 's review of Sheep Go to Sleep in the July/August issue says, "Apple's soft colored-pencil illustrations set a peaceful pastoral scene, while the soothing assonant sounds of the text ask young listeners to, well, begin counting their own sheep." The sheep will have sweet dreams after being called "iconic," and they like knowing they're helping with math concepts.

Shelf Awareness

I'm happy to see that book-industry newsletter Shelf Awareness has put Sheep Go to Sleep in its June 19 issue: "The team behind Sheep in a Jeep delivers an original twist with this charming take on bedtime...Shaw's meter never falters, and Apple's drawings keep the woolly quintet (and their canine guardian) front and center," says reviewer Jennifer M. Brown. Click here for the full review.

Baaab the sheep likes the review.

Celebrating two new picture books

Shutta Crum & Nicola Rooney

On June 3rd at Nicola's Books, we heard Shutta Crum explain how she went about writing a nearly-wordless book, and how much thought went into conveying how the toddler-size problems built to a climax--a hat over the eyes, a crab crawling into a bucket, a seagull, a sippy cup, and a big wave. It added up to Uh-Oh!, her new book with art by Patrice Barton.

I explained how Nicola was a part in the genesis of my new book--I had fun writing Sheep Phone It In as part of a tribute to her store in the Black Dog & Leventhal anthology My Bookstore. (Sheep and a smartphone--what could go wrong?) That story led to my editor at HMH suggesting Sheep Go to Sleep. The story is just out, with dreamy art by Margot Apple. And Nicola herself introduced us. Thanks to all the folks who made this quite a party.

Book Party at Nicola's

You're invited to a book party for Shutta Crum's picture book Uh-Oh!, about two toddlers at the beach, and my Sheep Go to Sleep. We will be reading and signing, and we'll have starfish cookies to go with the beach book, and apples-oats-&-sugar-lump cookies (something the sheep made after they went trick-or-treating). Sheep's-milk cheese, too. Nicola's Books, 2513 Jackson Ave, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48103, at 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 3.

An Open Book

Founding Director Dara LaPorte of An Open Book Foundation introduces Baaab and me to kindergartners at Roscoe R. Nix Elementary in Silver Spring.

Baaab looks forward to handing out copies of Sheep in a Jeep to the kindergartners.

Reading Specialist Mrs. West with me and Mrs. Greene's kindergarten

Last week I had the privilege of visiting classes at Roscoe R. Nix Elementary in Silver Spring, Maryland, with Janet Zwick and Dara LaPorte of An Open Book Foundation. The foundation is dedicated to bringing books to kids in the greater Washington, D.C. area. They and the schools do the all-important work of getting the kids ready to meet an author, so the audience is focused on the program. They also give each child an autographed book to keep, as well as sets of books for the classrooms. Baaab and I loved meeting the Nix students!

Gaithersburg Book Festival

Erin Hagar and Laura Bowers staff the SCBWI tent.

Sheep and goats together--I got to meet Erica Perl, shown here with her new book Goatilocks and the Three Bears.

Newbery medalist Kwame Alexander gets ready to speak about The Crossover.

Mary Norris autographs Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen.

Mary Quattlebaum and Erin Hagar at the SCBWI tent.

With Mayor Jud Ashman, founder of the festival, at the author party

Mikki Knudsen toasts the festival and celebrates her latest book, Marilyn's Monster.

 A few photos from the Gaithersburg Book Festival...

Sheep are baaaack!

Sheep Go to Sleep is now in stores. Their newest adventure has the flock trying to settle down, but they get spooked by nighttime noises. When a trusty collie comes by, he figures out what each sheep needs to feel sleepy:
The tired sheep begins to snore.
One asleep! How many more?
It's a countdown until they all nod off--even the collie.

Booklist says, "The endearing colored-pencil illustrations portray the animals’ emotions with clarity and wit. Besides offering a low-key introduction to counting and subtraction, this amiable picture book is just right for bedtime reading."