As you may already know, Delaware Vets also serve the farming community around Castle Cary and Yeovil, Somerset. This may seem a little far-fetched but we thought it might be fun to list a few book recommendations for lovers of… sheep. No, this isn’t some crass joke about the Welsh or daft collection of kid’s books – we are talking about genuinely lovely work here. Sheep are wonderful, darling creatures and these books may make you even fonder of the tufty dears.

Beautiful Sheep – Kathryn Dun – 2008

This wonderful book collects endearing images of professionally photographed championship breeds. As described in the blurb, leading fashion photographer Paul Farnham provides the images of sheep “polished, preened and styled to perfection” with descriptive accompaniments by Veterinarian Kathryn Dun. It’s a great read and makes an ideal gift for sheep loving friends.

If you’re only familiar with Henry Moore for his legendary public sculptures, you may be surprised to find that in 1972 the revered British artist compiled a mass of sketches… all of them of sheep. This book is a posthumous collection of sketches made from his Much Hadham studios during a particularly busy period of exhibitive preparation. The sketches show a tangible development as Moore spends longer observing each sheep’s idiosyncrasies. Wonderfully odd and quite profound, this is a must have for lovers of animal art.

Counting Sheep: A Celebration of the Pastoral Heritage of Britain – Philip Walling – 2015

This is a fascinating account of Britain’s pastoral history and the importance of sheep within that. Full of twee anecdotes, tales of the land, interview cuts with real shepherds and playful insights into the many breeds of British Sheep, this book is a country lover’s dream read. This is a delightful, informative and altogether impressive piece of historical writing.

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