The Sheep Series: A Journey from Sketchbook to Classic Concept Books

In the early 1990s, a group of whimsical sheep characters began to populate my sketchbook. They were just plain fun to draw, and over time, they started to tell their own stories. As is often the case with my writing, these stories first appeared as poems, gradually developing into something else–and in this case, a series of concept books.

During this creative period, I attended a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) conference in Southern California—a community I had been a part of since the 1980s. There, I met an editor and fellow writers, who helped me realize that my sheep characters were perfect for concept books aimed at the very young.

Encouraged by the feedback, I sent a manuscript to the editor I had met, and to my delight, she not only bought the first book but signed the series for publication. Thus, the Sheep Series was born—a set of four books that celebrated their 20th anniversary with a special reimagined edition that included behind-the-scenes insights.

Roots of Inspiration

The seeds of this series were planted in my childhood. My father, an actor, director, and producer, worked in both the United States and Canada. My mother, hailing from the border of Tennessee and North Carolina, brought us frequently to the region for family visits. My father often worked at the Flat Rock Playhouse in North Carolina, where he became friends with Carl Sandburg and his wife. Their simple farm life had a lasting impact on my dad, who yearned for a similar experience for our family—a life grounded in nature, away from the limelight of show business.

When I was eight years old, my parents rented a farm near Spring Hill, Tennessee, and we lived in the historic home known as White Hall. This two-story Greek Revival mansion, built in 1844, had a rich Civil War history, once serving as the military headquarters for Confederate General Earl Van Dorn. Living in such a storied place added a unique dimension to our time there, as my dad was writing a play about the Civil War, which was one of the reasons we chose to live at White Hall.

Two years later, they expanded to a larger farm in Nanticoke, Ontario, near Lake Erie and close to my dad’s Canadian family. Here, we raised 500 sheep, along with chickens, goats, and ponies. My dad, ever the creative spirit, treated the farm as more of an artistic project than a traditional one. My mother, equally creative, immersed herself in crafting and gardening, eventually becoming a toy poodle breeder. This blend of artistic expression, nature, and family life had a profound influence on me.

I spent much of my time herding sheep in an old VW Bug—yes, I could drive at 9 years old! My pastime of drawing the animals and nature that surrounded me blossomed during these years. It was a simple, joyful time, filled with the humor and charm that would later inspire my Sheep Series.

The Books

The Sheep Series consists of four concept books that have delighted young readers for decades, each exploring a different fundamental concept through charming stories Sheep Lost (Opposites) Sheep Share (Emotions) Sheep Sleep (Colors) and Sheep Care (Counting) CLICK BOOKS TO ORDER. They also come as digital as well as hardcover editions.

Dandelion Days: Finding Joy in Simple Moments

Dandelions, a symbol of resilience and adaptability—much like my childhood self—appear in all the books.  They are a celebration of the joy I found as a young girl living a simple life behind the scenes of my father’s glamorous showbiz world. And that was exactly what my parents wanted for us—to be grounded, to live freely, and to find happiness in the little things.

Legacy and Reflection

As I worked on the Sheep Series, I was also developing my comic strip, “The Grandparents,” and embracing the new role of being a grandmother. My granddaughter Anais even appeared in promotional photos for the series, adding another layer of personal connection to these books.

Connecting with Readers

During the Covid-19 pandemic, when Zoom book events became a new way to connect with kids and inspire reading, I found myself reading Sheep Share online, bringing the joy of these little sheep to children in a whole new way.

Here is a video of me reading Sheep Share during one of those virtual events.