Shepard Books

The story and pictures are as simply and fancifully fashioned as Bangwell Putt herself. This is a classic and ought to be reprinted for a new generation!

For anyone who really loves the short form, you must pick up this amazing collection. Jesse Shepard has the observational skills that it takes to make a moment in time a story. I certainly hope he's busy on more.

I checked this book out of the library about 8 years ago and took it to school. Challenged some students to look through it WITHOUT yawning. No one was able to. Talked about this book yesterday with some friends and realized again what a wonderful book it is with beautiful pictures. It has the theme of what goes round will come back around. The publisher should bring it back into print! Now I'm going to see if I can find a used copy somewhere. Guaranteed: when you find it, you'll yawn with lots of pleasure.

These remarkable recordings by Peter Dennis deserve more recognition.This particular recording won a Parents Choice award but it's not mentioned here.

I have read this strange tale to my daughter over a hundred times, each time enjoying the adventures of Little Troll who is eager to learn about People's Ways. He attempts to mix in with the regular country folk, but falls back on his magic powder. Little Troll makes the best butter.

Since this is set in the back country of Kentucky the dialog is perfect for some twangy accents. Best Line (advice from a stranger) It helps to have some gold coins about you if you want to buy a wife, especially if you ain't too handsome.

I have used this book extensively to teach French and Spanish. This simple, repetitive narrative is ideal to compare the three languages. Each line appears in a different color to highlight the language used. The poem nests in, and then nests back out again on a summary page. Truly outstanding!

Priceless! It's beautiful!
I plan to keep the pictures when this year is through!

Kites for Kids presents all the kite related technical terms with easy to understand explanations. There are clearly labeled diagrams both for showing the parts of a kite and explaining the directions. The fifth chapter explains the secret of flight, how to launch and retrieve a kite, how to deal with common problems, and how to fly kites safely. All these things were helpful when working on a kite project with a group of boys. Kites for Kids lists the materials you will need and has ideas for where to find them--a great time saver. There are directions for 13 kites from the classic diamond kite to space cruisers to sky monsters. Each kite begins with a brief introduction about the history or flying abilities. Amazing moments in kite history are scattered throughout the book. If you're new to kite building, or trying to build kites with kids, this book is a great guide.

I watched the video that belong to my friend. I thought it was very informative and correct. I truly would like to have a copy for my family and my friends that saw it on TV were very impressed. So for anyone who want to know how Jehovah's Witnesses are an assest to our community need only to see this video and maybe talk to them at the door the next time they come knocking.

Lady White and her friend Blue (who are both snakes), decide to leave their residence at Mt. Emei and experience the human world. A young man, Xu Xian, offers the two women the use of his umbrella when it begins to rain, and plans to pick it up from them the following day. After spending the day drinking tea with the two women, Xu Xian and Lady White agree to marry. Unfortunately, the two do not live happily ever after--because of the meddling of a monk who considers Lady White a demon and tries to convince Xu Xian of that fact. After a series of confrontations between the monk and Lady White, the story follows operatic tradition as the monk finally succeeds in ripping the two lovers apart. He captures Lady White and imprisons her under a pagoda by West Lake, where she will remain until either the lake dries up or the pagoda falls. However, the story does conclude on a hopeful note. As the centuries pass, Lady White's friend Blue trains until she and her army are able to destroy the pagoda and free Lady White from her prison, giving her freedom and perhaps one day another chance at love.

The author has included some pages of extra information that is helpful to those of us who are not familiar with aspects of Chinese opera that appear in this story. The beginning also has a pronunciation guide on names non-Chinese speakers may have problems with. There is also a brief description about the style of Chinese calligraphy the artist chose to incorporate into the illustrations. The illustrations are quite impressive, especially the two page spread showing the battle between the armies of the monastery and Lady White. The illustrator makes it seem as though they are images from a production of the opera, which enhances the story.

This is a great, well-written book, telling a story that most readers will not be familiar with. All the readers though will appreciate the action of the story and the lovely pictures that accompany the text. There is love and excitement, and while there is not a `happily ever after' ending between Lady White and Xu Xian, there are hints that love might come again for Lady White. However, one thing to be aware of is that this book will probably work better as a read aloud book than one kids read themselves, because of the long plot and unfamiliar words.

This story will probably especially appeal to girls, in both the exotic costumes and the characters who are passionate and adventurous. While Lady White does marry and have a child, unlike the "traditional" female role, she is not someone who will passively stand by and watch things happen without doing something. Her friend Blue has a similar personality, even struggling over the centuries to become strong enough to free Lady White.