Shepard Books

Patricia Coombs books are fun and endearing, modeling good values for children.

All of the witches and wizards in Witchville are worried to distraction over the fate of the Town Tower and Witch Meadow, when Madame Zee comes to town in a wagon house-on-wheels pulled by a gray horse. Dorrie is fascinated by the house, but cross Madame Zee chases her away. Dorrie looses her hat, and stumbles across a mysterious machine when she goes back to find it.

Dorrie's hat is always on crooked, her socks never match, and all of the Dorrie books have enough familiar words and phrases for the beginning reader to "help" read. There are enough other words to keep adults that may have to read this book out loud over and over again interested. Look for the word "chute" in this book - when is the last time you saw this in print, except for Chutes 'n' Ladders? New, intricate details in the pictures can be found at each reading.

The Big Witch, distracted but concerned, doesn't set an impossible standard for career mothers to follow. Us mothers have enough to worry about without perfect fictional mothers, too.

Pressed into a "dumb" princess costume, Dorrie crash-lands the Big Witch's broom on her maiden flight. Then, captured by the Halloween Demons, Dorrie and Gink are on their own to rescue the Great Sorceress and the book of Shadows from their evil grasp.
Patricia Coombs' active pencils nicely illustrate the entertaining text. A great read for young and old.

I loved this book. I read it as a child, and it was wonderful! Imagine being a little girl good witch flying around on a broomstick... All the Dorrie books are wonderful childrens' stories which deserve to come back into print!

This is the one! has everything! all of the characters! encludes in the story the importance of family, unconditional love, magic, fun and best of all a surprise cure from the Witch Doctor! I checked it out from the school library so many times that I have it memorized and I am 43!

The witch doctor comes to the rescue when unagreeable Aunt Agra comes to visit. As always, a happy ending where Dorrie with her mismatched socks, and her cat Gink go to bed with smiles. My mother read these stories to me as a child, and I loved them and still remember and enjoy them both for content and illustrations. They were and are still magical!

i bought the hardback original book draculas book of vampire and horror storys years ago but now its out of print and not widely available and so i have bought this paperback too as a backup this books that good what you have here are some of the greatest vampire and horror storys alltime that were written years before anybody heard of bela lugosi like carmilla the tomb of sarah draculas guest 4 wooden stakes the horla by masters like bram stoker guy de maupassant lord byron etc these storys carry a certain amount of charm and mystery missing from todays storys and youll feel like youre alive in the 1800s and wondering is there life after the grave what possibilitys does science hold etc youll generally feel the dread of people who lived in those times theres so many aspects of these old storys that carried hidden meanings about societys direction and fears and you cant help but pity genuises like guy de maupassant who was suffering insanity when he wrote the horla about an unknown entity posessing him and it adds to the storys power profoundly buy this book today if youre a true vampire and horror fan almost every story in it is great and as noted the first words of each page are written very gothic looking giving the book added charm buy this today itll provide hours of great reading TRUST ME IM AN EXPERT ON VAMPIRES AND FOLKLORE THIS IS A MUST READ

This collection of vampire stories brings together 13 stories that were published in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Lesser known but by no means inferior authors join familiar authors like Bram Stoker and Sheridan Le Fanu. The stories begin with an imaginatively illustrated first letter. For example, Carmilla has a Gothic letter "C" that towers above the print and is decorated with flows and small figures thus setting the tone for the story. It is interesting the "the Horla" by Maupassant was included here. It is usually considered more of a ghost story. The remaining works are atmospheric and creepy.

In short, a well-considered selection of stories that will please vampire lovers everywhere.

Drawing from Nature

A good book for beginners as well as an essential item to have on the library shelves for the accomplished. As a teacher and artist, I find this book an invaluable source of ideas as well as a refreshing reminder.

"Drawing from Nature" --by Jim Arnosky

Arnosky has produced a valuable beginning drawing book. A simple flip through the pages shows many treasures that will inspire beginning students of drawing. No human figure drawings here, but rather the plants and animals and landscapes of the forest and stream are what Arnosky offers. No other beginning drawing book is quite like this.

The author begins with illustrations that show how to draw WATER, including trout in a moving stream, submerged tree stumps, and even a bubble on the surface. This is followed with an assortment of water creatures. Insects on the water surface, a duck, frog, snake, crayfish, and another fish amongst lily pads. This is very wonderful illustration.

Arnosky follows with a barrel serving as a water tank, illustrating dripping water from a faucet, distant hills and trees with a stream emerging with illustration of deep water and shallow water with a flock of geese nicely illustrated above. This kind of illustration repeats, showing how to draw rocks, trees (deciduous and pine) and waterfalls. Arnosky even shows how to draw small rocks and boulders, but also shows how to draw the shaped stones in arching bridges etc.

There are mountains with shading to illustrate light from different directions, and yet more birds, bushes, flowers and fruits. This is an absolute encyclopedia of flora and fauna of all kinds. There are of course deer, bear, sheep, bunnies, bats and bobcats and so on.

There is quite a list of grasses, mushrooms, bushes, and even vines with the tiniest of delicately creeping and grasping tendrils. The love that author Jim Arnosky feels for his subjects gradually dawns upon the reader. This man's romance with nature passes quickly into the heart and mind of the reader. We also begin to feel Arnosky's wonder and awe at the ever-present surrounding beauty. Studying Arnosky's text the sensation becomes palpable, almost a religious sensation. The final dozen pages or so are lovely color photographs of nature.

DRAWING FROM NATURE is one of the most wonderful introductions to drawing plants, animals and landscapes that I've ever encountered. The author is worthy of respect as a teacher.

I'm sorry to see that Grahame's "Dream Days" is so unavailable. It's a deeply enjoyable book that demonstrates the power of "stories" to pull us out of the here and now and make us to stand up straighter, to imagine ourselves as knights and ladies. Grahame's book would be great for older children (young ones may find themselves fidgeting - there is a certain amount of description and archaic language). Adults may actually enjoy this one more than kids. Reading it brought back to me the days of my youth, when a good story could fire my imagination for days, and the characters lived right along side of me, as sort of doppelgangers. This story reminds me of E. Nesbit, another great Edwardian children's writer. Children should read these books, they are well-written and can help foster a love for the "right word" and the well-turned phrase. Try to find a copy with Parrish's illustrations. This whole book is just a wonderful aesthetic experience.

If you are picking up this book, you most likely have read its companion, THE GOLDEN AGE. This book continues the exploits of the children introduced in the first volume. Veddy, veddy English. Completely delightful, though.

I am not sure today's children would enjoy this book. The 19th Century British-isms will probably be quite tedious to any but the most precocious of children. And nothing really "happens" so to speak. No adventures of overwhelming magnitude. Rather, the children's imagination governs what happens throughout the book. Small things are turned into events of great importance. Children brought up with video games will most likely be bored. But for an adult, ahhh! This is a find. It will make you yearn for the idyllic childhood you never had or anybody had for that matter.

Each chapter is like sunlight shining on a bead of dew in April. Or something similarily poetic. Grahame's the better writer anyway.

the reviewer below is right--this ISN'T your average kids' book and that is what makes it so much fun! its silly rhymes make my 2 year old laugh out loud and although he can't say all the words, he does like to try. stick with winnie-the-pooh if you like, but if you want some bright, nonsensical fun, try this book.

Vladimir Radunsky captures all the true spirit of Lear's alphabet verse by pasting up this classic into a virtual scrapbook--full of colors and images for the next milennium. The dumpiest of pumps, a goose-stepping little goose kicking off his boots, and even Edward Lear himself runs wild through the pages. But this is not just an expression of virtuosity, it's a lot of fun, too. A wonderful introduction to the alphabet and the work of two masters.

This is a great little book for a baby or toddler. An adult Pooh (and Eeyore) fan might like to use it as a key chain or Christmas ornament.

The simple words really capture the melancholy spirit of A.A. Milne's gloomy donkey toy!

These books are just the right size for your baby. The clip gives them something to hold onto and the words are simple and easy to read and understand. A must for a Pooh fans library.

Elbert was really having a bad day. He desperately wanted to be on the football team, but the coach said he was too small. Then after all that, he had to go to the dentist to have 2 cavities filled. Really depressing.
On the way home from the dentist, his luck turned for the better. He discovered something really fantastic. When he gritted his teeth together he could hear a radio and it sounded as though it were playing inside his head. It was his new fillings acting as a radio receiver. He figured out how to make it louder and softer and how to change stations by rubbing his teeth together.
What a great thing to have. You could listen to the radio in class and no one would know or even in bed before going to sleep.
It wasn't until later when he was at home that he found out the most wonderful thing of all. He could hear people's thoughts.
(I used this book for booktalks in the schools and the kids really were intrigued by it.)

Elbert, a slightly-built boy, receives a filling from his dentist that is made of a new alloy. The filling acts as a receiver for radio stations at first, then develops into mind reading. This is the story of a 14 year old boy who has big dreams to play football. Because of his size, the coach doesn't even consider putting him on the team. But with injuries and Elbert's own perserverance, his dream comes true.

This limited edition, commemorative book is a must have for anyone interested in Hartford, Connecticut history or the American Park Movement. This book contains a comprehensive history of Elizabeth Park, celebrating the centennial of its famous rose garden in 2004. It also contains a brief history of the American Park Movement and Forestry movement. The book features all aspects of the park including its perennial, annual, and rock gardens, trees, natural and architectural features, and activities. The 20 historical photographs are highly interesting and the 130 color photographs are spectacularly done by area photographer William Shepard. The cover art is by local artist Diana Lyn Cote. For more information, please refer to EPCENTURY.

This limited edition, commemorative book is a must have for anyone interested in Hartford, Connecticut history or the American Park Movement. This book contains a comprehensive history of Elizabeth Park, celebrating the centennial of its famous rose garden in 2004. It also contains a brief history of the American Park Movement and Forestry movement. The book features all aspects of the park including its perennial, annual, and rock gardens, trees, natural and architectural features, and activities. The 20 historical photographs are highly interesting and the 130 color photographs are spectacularly done by area photographer William Shepard. The cover art is by local artist Diana Lyn Cote. For more information, please refer to EPCENTURY.