Fuse 8 n’ Kate: Sheep in a Jeep and Sheep in a Shop by Nancy Shaw, ill. Margot Apple
Rambunctious? Bumbling? It’s hard to typify the sheep in this Nancy Shaw series (though their publisher has certainly tried over the years). The darlings of the 80s and 90s, “Sheep” appreciation has depreciated significantly over the intervening decades. Today, Kate and I delve into two of the most notable of the sheep books to truly declare whether they deserve a bit of classic status to keep them in the mix, or if they should be discounted and lost to the sands of time. As it happens, it’s an ALLLLL Michigan episode here today (Kate, myself, Nancy, and Margot all hail from there).
Listen to the whole show here on Soundcloud or download it through iTunes, Stitcher, Spotify, Google Play, PlayerFM, Audible, Amazon Music, or your preferred method of podcast selection.
Show Notes:
Should you wish to visit Nancy Shaw’s website you may do so here (spinach custard and all).
In answer to my own question, we have done a sheep book on the podcast before. This one.
As it turns out, when your jeep is stuck, get yourself some pierced and tatted up pigs. Considering that this book came out in 1986, I feel like Apple knew that she had to be real real subtle with including those elements. Not that the British weren’t already doing it with Let’s Get a Pup, Said Kate.
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When it doubt, just throw a couple porch rocking raccoons into your picture book. It is always ALWAYS the right choice.
We have a theory that either Shaw or Apple is a serious knitter. How else to explain ALL of this? There are even different sized knitting needles at the register, for crying out loud!!
I dunno. I think the shopkeeper pulled one over on these sheep. Three full bags of wool for one dinky beachball?!? They just got a terrible deal!
We’re a bit unnerved by the fact that the seagull that appears in the first book and then in this title seems to change size conspicuously in the meantime.
Kate Recommends: Dropout TV. And since she mentioned it, I simply have to embed the greatest of all their skits:
Betsy Recommends: The podcast The Away End, hosted by John Green.
Filed under: Fuse 8 n' Kate
About Betsy Bird
Betsy Bird is currently the Collection Development Manager of the Evanston Public Library system and a former Materials Specialist for New York Public Library. She has served on Newbery, written for Kirkus, and has done other lovely little things that she'd love to tell you about but that she's sure you'd find more interesting to hear of in person. Her opinions are her own and do not reflect those of EPL, SLJ, or any of the other acronyms you might be able to name. Follow her on BlueSky at: @fuse8.bsky.social
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I vote for raising Shaw and Apple’s SHEEP IN A JEEP to icon status, and must go find a copy of SHEEP IN A SHOP immediately. Can we also consider Ainsely Pryor’s BABY BLUE CAT books as something that should be brought back? BABY BLUE CAT AND THE SMILEY WORM DOLL and BBC AND THE DIRTY DOG BROTHERS especially, if only for the titles.
Noted and noted!!
Sheep in a Jeep! I’m sure I have that book in a box in the basement which means it’s moved 7 times with me! Definitely a keeper. 🐑🐑🐑
And thank you for sharing that hilarious clip from a show I’ve never seen.