Overview
A fascinating look at a unique way of life. A wagon sits in the sagebrush-covered desert, while herders on horseback move sheep to high summer range. It looks like a scene from the Old West, but it's actually a sight you can see today. Shepherds still live in wagons, tending their flocks in Wyoming and other places in the American West just as they have done for more than a hundred years. You can still see the shepherds "trailing," moving their flocks to the mountains in the summer and bringing them down to the desert for the winter. From breeding season to lambing season, and shearing in between, Cat Urbigkit presents a lively, informative text and stunning photographs that show how sheep are raised over the course of a year.
Synopsis
A fascinating look at a unique way of life. A wagon sits in the sagebrush-covered desert, while herders on horseback move sheep to high summer range. It looks like a scene from the Old West, but it's actually a sight you can see today. Shepherds still live in wagons, tending their flocks in Wyoming and other places in the American West just as they have done for more than a hundred years. You can still see the shepherds "trailing," moving their flocks to the mountains in the summer and bringing them down to the desert for the winter. From breeding season to lambing season, and shearing in between, Cat Urbigkit presents a lively, informative text and stunning photographs that show how sheep are raised over the course of a year.Editorials
Children's Literature -
This nonfiction book describes how shepherds still live in wagons and tend their flocks in Wyoming and other places in the American West. One or two sheepherders tend to herds of several thousand sheep. We find out about how the sheepherders live without modern conveniences and live in wagons as they travel with the herd. Several pages are devoted to the role of the herding and guardian dogs. Next, shearing is done, and wool is sorted. There is a section about why some sheep wear bells around their necks and another part about how the baby lambs are cared for. An "Author's Note" at the end gives additional factual information along with the meaning of transhumance, which is the practice of moving animal herds from low to high elevations. A map shows the states in which this occurs. Explanatory color photographs are included throughout the book. Interesting and informative, this book should be valuable for science and social studies. Reviewer: Vicki FooteSchool Library Journal
Gr 2-5- A Western rancher once again exposes readers to life on the American high plains. This time she shows a way of life that many people think belongs in another time and another country-transhumance, the seasonal migration of animal herds. Through beautiful photographs and easily understood text, she explains how and why sheep migration works. She also covers the seasonal chores and cyclical changes in the herd and includes both large and small operations. As in her other books, Urbigkit shows variations on the lifestyle-from sheep herders using modern trailers to transport their animals to shepherds who travel on foot or horse. The information is basic and authentic. Readers who appreciated A Young Shepherd (2006) and Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep (2005, both Boyds Mills) will enjoy this additional aspect of sheepherding. It's also a good supplemental source for social-studies units.-Carolyn Janssen, Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, OH
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