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Shepherd's Trail, The

Shepherd's Trail, The
View Larger Shepherd's Trail, The
Cat Urbigkit
In Nonfiction with photos
Ages: 7–9
Pages: 32
List Price: $16.95
Cover: Hardcover
Published: 2/1/2008
ISBN: 1-59078-509-6
ISBN-13: 978-1-59078-509-6
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.

Reviews

"Urbigkit, whose previous books include Brave Dogs, Gentle Dogs: How They Guard Sheep (2005) and A Young Shepherd (2006), now discusses the migration of domestic sheep in the western United States. ... The many attractive photos offer windows into a part of the world that most children never see."
     —Booklist

"A Western rancher once again exposes readers to life on the American high plains. ... Through beautiful photographs and easily understood text, she explains how and why sheep migration works. ... 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."
     —School Library Journal

School Library Journal reviews Cat Urbigkit's The Shepherd's Trail in its March 2008 issue:

"A Western rancher once again exposes readers to life on the American high plains. ... Through beautiful photographs and easily understood text, she explains how and why sheep migration works. ... 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."