The Valentine Sheep

About the Book

Origin of the Story

On Valentine’s Day each year, young Bill would wake up to find two large heart-shaped sugar cookies on the kitchen table, one for him and one for his brother, Mike.  The cookies were elegantly decorated by his mother as a special Valentine’s treat.  When Bill had children, he continued the family tradition and baked one heart shaped cookie for each of his four children.  One day, one of his children asked, “Who made the cookies?”  Bill thought for a moment, ‘Easter has Peter Rabbit, Christmas has Santa Claus and Rudolph the Red-Nose Reindeer, Thanksgiving has a Turkey so why not an animal for Valentine’s Day. Having a love for sheep, Bill replied, “The Valentine Sheep brought you those cookies while you were sleeping.”  And so, the Valentine Sheep was born. The story of the Valentine Sheep came to be when Bonnie took her father’s idea and made it into a poem.  She named the lamb Felicity from the Spanish work Feliz meaning “happy.”  Becky read the story and drew the pictures, bringing Felicity to life.  The girls presented their father with the book one Christmas as a symbol of family love and togetherness.

About the Author

About the Authors and Illustrator

William R. “Bill” Boone always had a love for animals.  He became particulary fond of sheep while working on a sheep farm during high school.  Bill continued to work with sheep while in college and used them as a focus for his graduate studies.  Today, Bill is a lab director at the Greenville Hospital System in Greenville, SC.  He resides in Simpsonville, SC with his wife, Edna, and enjoys spending time with his five grandchildren.

Bonnie Boone Jennings grew up with a love for animals and was always trying to care for the injured.  Once as a child, Bonnie brought home a lamb with a broken leg and kept it in the garage until it was strong enough to go back to the farm.  Upon completeing her MBA degree, Bonnie moved to Mt. Pleasant, SC with her husband, Blair. She enjoys spending time with their three children, Caitlyn, Natalie and Zachary.  Bonnie volunteers at her childrens’ school and her church.

Becky Boone Keck was always drawing and making crafts as a child.  While living in Keota, IA, her parents enrolled her in an art course.  Here she learned the joy of painting. Today, Becky resides in Myrtle Beach, SC with her husband, Eric, and their two children, Danielle and Stephen.  Becky is a Professor of Anatomy and Physiology at Horry Georgetown Technical College in Conway, SC.  She enjoys painting and working with children.  Becky volunteers with the local elementary school.