Nancy Shaw author page

Nancy Shaw biography

Nancy Shaw is an American author best known for her humorous, rhyming picture books featuring a flock of adventurous sheep. Born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 1946, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of Michigan in 1968 and a Master of Arts in Teaching from Harvard University in 1970. During her college years, she worked at the Ann Arbor Public Library, where she developed an interest in children’s literature while shelving books by authors such as Maurice Sendak.

Shaw’s writing career began with the publication of Sheep in a Jeep in 1986, inspired by a rhyming game during a family car trip. The book’s success led to a series of sequels illustrated by Margot Apple, including Sheep on a Ship (1989), Sheep in a Shop (1991), Sheep Out to Eat (1992), Sheep Take a Hike (1994), Sheep Trick or Treat (1997), Sheep Blast Off! (2008), and Sheep Go to Sleep (2015).

In addition to the Sheep series, Shaw authored Raccoon Tune (2003), illustrated by Howard Fine, which was selected as the featured title for the 2008 Michigan Reads! early literacy program. She also wrote Elena’s Story (2012), a picture book set in Guatemala and inspired by her travels.

Her work has received several honors, including a Fanfare citation from The Horn Book in 1987 for Sheep in a Jeep and Best Books citations from School Library Journal and Parenting magazine in 1991 for Sheep in a Shop. Shaw is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, the Authors Guild, the Authors League of America, and the American Association of University Women.