January 2025 NatureKit: Sheep & Shepherding

pic by wonderopolis.org

Sheep and shepherding have been integral to human civilization for thousands of years, playing a significant role in agriculture, economy, and culture.. Known for their gentle and social nature, sheep form tight-knit groups, making them ideal for flock-based herding. Shepherding, the practice of tending to and guiding sheep, dates to ancient times. Shepherds not only care for the animals' physical needs, such as feeding and shelter, but also protect them from predators and ensure their health. This role has traditionally been passed down through generations, particularly in rural and pastoral societies. The practice of shepherding, with its deep connection to nature and the rhythm of the seasons, continues to be an important part of farming in many parts of the world, preserving both cultural traditions and sustainable agricultural practices.

For this month you are to read a book about sheep or shepherding. This can be fiction or non-fiction, an adult or children’s book, or the Biblical 23rd Psalm. You can read about the sheep vs. the cattle range wars, the harvesting of wool, sheep husbandry, sheep and the environment, or there is even a welfare organization for sheep! Whatever you decide to read, please let us know and post in the wiki if you would like!

The wiki: https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2025_NatureKIT

Possibilities:
The Shepherd's Life by James Rebank
The Sheep Queen by Thomas Savage
Follow the Flock: How Sheep Saved Civilization by Sally Coulthard
The Wisdom of Sheep: Observations From a Family Farm by Rosamund Young
Series of 8 books Sheep in a Jeep by Nancy Shaw *children's
A Short History of the World According to Sheep by Sally Coulthard
In the Footsteps of Sheep: Tales of a Journey Through Scotland, Walking, Spinning, and Knitting Socks by Debbie Zawinski
Beautiful Sheep: Portraits of champion breeds (Beautiful Animals) by Kathyrn Dun
A Sheep Remembers (The 23rd Psalm) by David Calhoun
The Idylls of Theocritus (more pastoral than actual sheep--but they are mentioned)
Hymnus (mythological shepherd) as well as Endymion
The Passionate Shepherd to His Love by Christopher Marlowe
If Clouds Were Sheep: A warm and humorous portrait of the shepherding life by Sue Andrews
Counting Sheep by Axel Linden
Cattlemen vs Sheepherders : Five Decades of Violence in the West by Bill O'Neal
Year Walk by Ann Nolan Clark
Sheep for Beginners: A dip into the world of wool by John Eunson

Is it time to start picking books for next year already? Luckily, for this month, I have an obvious choice in my TBR Sheepish: Two Women, Fifty Sheep, and Enough Wool to Save the Planet by Catherine Friend.

If any cozy mystery fans are looking for a book, I enjoyed Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann.

I live in what used to be one of the biggest wool producing areas in the world. We still have a lot of sheep! I have lots of book on sheep and wool as I am also a huge knitter and yarn dyer. My dream, dream holiday would be to Shetland. I will not choose just yet but I am very much looking forward to adding some more sheepy books to my list.

My brother has a small farm and raises some sheep so I might read a BB I took a couple of years ago for The Shepherd's Life by James Resnick and may try to fit it in for January.

>1 Tess_W: Great list. I am not going to do Nature Kit but like to read the messages.
I am crocheting a scarf from organic native Shetland yarn I bought at a yarn shop in Lerwick, Scotland when we were on a British Isles cruise in May.

I'm going to read The Sheep's Tale by John Lewis-Stempel.

>5 mnleona: Sounds interesting!

Several for me to choose from:
Vanishing Fleece Adventures in American Wool by Sarah Parkes
A Short History of the World According to Sheep by Sally Coulthard

I will also spend a few hours at the library reading as many of the Sheep in a Jeep books that they have.

I'll choose one or more from these titles:
Christopher Russell: The quest of the warrior sheep
Tim Winton: The shepherd’s hut
Andre Alexis: Pastoral

I hadn't expected the naturekit or the culturecat to be quite so detailed in category, so I'm thinking I'm going to just aim to split the year between the two and read one book for one or the other each month. I've actually got a bit of a phobia of sheep, so I won't be joining you all this month, but I'm curious to see what choices come up!

>8 Tess_W: Now that brings back memories! I must have read Sheep in a Jeep every night for years!

Tess, I'm curious what prompted you to decide on this topic?

(I won't likely have time to pick out what I'll be reading in January until sometime next week, so I'm not sure yet what I'll pick up for this.)

>12 LibraryCin: Actually, I just finished a book recommended by Jackie on sheep and shepherding, so the topic stuck in my mind!

>13 Tess_W: Ah, thank you. I wondered if you worked with sheep or something, but just an interest that came up via another book!

Can't see anything relevant on my TBR and wishlist shelves so I will skip this one. But I'm still interested to see what other people come up with.

>8 Tess_W: - I took a BB last year for Vanishing Fleece and I'll be reading this also. We'll have to compare notes. Also works for the ColorCat which is nice.

>9 VivienneR: Neat! I really enjoy Alexis and particularly loved Fifteen Dogs. I may join in with Pastoral

Wisdom of Sheep is my tentative pick for now! Inner lives of sheep, sounds great to me.

Wondering if I can sneak The Farmer's Wife by Helen Rebanks in here? I have read all of James Rebanks' books about sheep and this is about their life on the farm. Thinking it fits?

>20 JayneCM: Go for it! I prefer fluid CATS!

>21 Tess_W: Thanks! I'm sure there will be mention of sheep in there as well as home life.

I plan to read Shepherds Abiding by Jan Karon.

I'm a Knitter and have recently read and loved James Rebanks' The Shepherd's Life, and a little longer ago both Clara Parkes' Vanishing Fleece and Sally Coulthard's A Short History of the World According to Sheep. (I think I read all of these in audiobook form)

I didn't know about Helen Rebanks' book! Thanks JayneCM! I'll try to read either that one or The Lost Flock by Jane Cooper.

I think I will also go with The Wisdom of Sheep.