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.