Most Popular Books by Aaron Shepard

Have you ever seen a cat wearing a crown? Or noticed a group of cats hunting a dog? Young Peter Black has, but no one believes him! Peter is positive, though, that there''s something a little odd about all the cats in town, and he''s determined to get to the bottom of it. With vibrant illustrations by Kristin Sorra, Aaron Shepard retells a classic English folktale that will have readers looking twice at their cats! Meow, meow...

You''d better believe Slappy Hooper was the world''s biggest, fastest, bestest sign painter. He was bestest because no one else ever made pictures so true to life. But some folks said they were too good when the pictures started coming alive! Will Slappy have to give up sign painting for good? Or will a couple of timely jobs from the Heavenly Sign Company let him climb to even greater heights? Find out in this delightful tall tale from mid-20th-century Chicago. TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER''S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN AARON''S BOOK "FOLKTALES ON STAGE," OR FREE ON AARON''S WEB SITE. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker''s Dozen," "The Sea King''s Daughter," "The Adventures of Mouse Deer," and many more children''s books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader''s theater. Toni Goffe is a British illustrator of numerous well-loved children''s books and is a winner of the 1993 Gold Medallion Book Award. He is also illustrator of Aaron''s "The Legend of Lightning Larry." ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "Goffe''s freewheeling cartoons perfectly complement this well-told, amiably satirical tale." -- Kirkus Reviews, Sept. 1, 1993 "Good-humored . . . Lots of possibilities for story hour." -- Booklist, Nov. 1, 1993 "A cheerful, upbeat, all-American legend. Have fun with it." -- Katy Rydell, Stories, Fall 1993 "Not only fun, but a start for many classroom learning experiences. Readers of all ages will enjoy Slappy Hooper." -- Sandra Boback, St. Boniface School, Kingston, PA "Delightful . . . [A] welcome addition to the list of American tall tales." -- The Story Bag, Special Review Issue ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE You''ve heard about Paul Bunyan, the greatest lumberjack of all time. And you''ve heard about Pecos Bill, the greatest cowboy. Now let me tell you about Slappy Hooper, the world''s biggest, fastest, bestest sign painter. You''d better believe Slappy was biggest! Why, he was seven feet tall with shoulders to match, and he weighed three hundred pounds, even without his cap and coverall and brush and bucket. And fastest? Just give him an eight-inch brush. Slip! slop! slap! The job was done -- and so smooth, you''d never see a brush stroke. And you bet Slappy was bestest! That was on account of his pictures. No one else ever made them so true to life. In fact, some folks said they were too true to life. Slappy''s trouble started with the huge red rose he painted on the sign for Rose''s Florist Shop. "Slappy, it''s so real!" said Miss Rose Red, the owner. "Why, I can just about smell the fragrance!" But a week later, Rose Red fluttered into Slappy''s sign shop. "Slappy, that sign of yours was too good. The bees got wind of it and swarmed all over that rose, trying to get in. They scared away all my customers! That was bad enough, but wait till you see what''s happened now!" When they reached the florist shop, Slappy saw that the bees were gone. But the rose had withered and died. "No one buys from a florist with a withered flower on her sign," said Rose Red. "That''s the last thing you''ll paint for me, Slappy Hooper!"

"One can never have too many friends." Quackling was proud when the King came to him to borrow money. But years passed, and the King never paid him back! So, he took his sack and started for the castle. But a very small duck will need very good friends when he gets there! Will Quackling get what he wants, or something even better? Find out in this lively, rhythmic retelling of a favorite European folk tale. //////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker''s Dozen," "The Legend of Lightning Larry," "The Sea King''s Daughter," and many more children''s books. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. Wendy Edelson is the award-winning illustrator of "The Baker''s Dozen," "Christmas Truce," and many more children''s books. She has applied her talent to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle''s Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U.S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association. //////////////////////////////////////////////// "[A] lively folktale retelling . . . Edelson enhances the allegorical tale, about goodness and honoring commitments, with striking renderings of anthropomorphic animals." -- Publishers Weekly, July 30, 2018 /////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE Once there was a very small duck with a very loud quack. So they called him Quackling. Now, Quackling was clever and he worked hard, so he saved up a good deal of money. In fact, he saved up so much that the King himself came to borrow some. Quackling was proud to loan his money to the King. But a year went by, then two, then three, and the King never paid him back. "I''ve waited long enough," said Quackling. So he took a sack for the money, and he started for the castle, calling, "Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!" Before long, he came upon a ladder leaning against a wall. "Where are you going, Quackling?" said Ladder. "To the King for my money," said Quackling. "To the King!" said Ladder. "How wonderful! Will you take me with you?" "Why not?" said Quackling. "One can never have too many friends." And he called out, "Quack! Quack! Quack! Ladder into sack!" Quick as you can blink, Ladder was in the sack. Then Quackling walked on, calling, "Quack! Quack! Quack! I want my money back!"

In this tale from the "Mahabharata," India''s national epic, Princess Savitri outwits the god of death to save her husband.

"I want shoes that are spiffy, not iffy." Katie is tired of her same old shoes, so she goes to the store to buy new ones. But with so many wondrous choices, how can she ever decide? In this fun story told in lively verse, a young girl gets a peek at the many possibilities open to her in life and embraces them with joy. For ages 2 to 8. ////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker''s Dozen," "The Legend of Lightning Larry," "The Sea King''s Daughter," and many more children''s books. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. Wendy Edelson is the award-winning illustrator of "The Baker''s Dozen," "Christmas Truce," "Quackling," and many more children''s books. She has applied her talent to a wide range of illustration projects, including picture books, pet portraits, posters, and puzzles. Among her clients have been Seattle''s Woodland Park Zoo, the Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Northwest Ballet, the U.S. Postal Service, Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education, and the American Library Association. ////////////////////////////////////////////// FULL TEXT Katie was tired of her same old shoes. "I want shoes I choose!" she said. She went to the store to buy new ones. The sales clerk asked, "Which shoes do you choose?" Katie said, "I want shoes that are braggy, not baggy." "Let me see," said the clerk. "We have small shoes, and tall shoes, and walk-on-the-wall shoes. "We have red shoes, and head shoes, and down-the-hill-sled shoes. "We have blue shoes, and BOO shoes, and paddle-canoe shoes. "Which shoes do you choose?" Katie said, "I want shoes that are slicky, not sticky." "Let me see," said the clerk. "We have jog shoes, and log shoes, and hop-like-a-frog shoes. "We have tied shoes, and wide shoes, and carnival-ride shoes. "We have trail shoes, and snail shoes, and wind-in-your-sail shoes. "Which shoes do you choose?" Katie said, "I want shoes that are spiffy, not iffy." "Let me see," said the clerk. "We have black shoes, and snack shoes, and ride-on-a-track shoes. "We have wet shoes, and pet shoes, and super-speed-jet shoes. "We have moon shoes, and goon shoes, and hot-air-balloon shoes. "Which shoes do you choose?" Katie said, "I choose ALL these shoes." She bought the shoes and took them home. Now Katie chooses ALL her shoes with ALL THOSE SHOES TO CHOOSE.

Taking from the rich and giving to the poor, Robin Hood and his loyal followers fight the evil Sheriff of Nottingham.

¿Por qué no dar más? Van Amsterdam, el panadero, era bien conocido por su honestidad, al igual que por sus extraordinarias galletas de San Nicolás. Él siempre les daba a sus clientes exactamente lo que ellos pagaban: ni más ni menos. Entonces, ¡no estaba dispuesto a ceder cuando una misteriosa señora mayor viene a su tienda el Día de San Nicolás e insiste que una docena son trece! El hechizo de la señora termina con el negocio del panadero, y él cree que haría falta que San Nicolás lo ayude. Pero si recibe esa ayuda, ¿será exactamente la que él imaginó? Averígualo en esta inspiradora leyenda de la Nueva York colonial holandesa sobre el nacimiento de una costumbre tradicional estadounidense. TÍTULO ORIGINAL: The Baker’s Dozen: A Saint Nicholas Tale MAESTROS Y BIBLIOTECARIOS: Un guion de teatro de lectores de este libro está disponible tanto en inglés como en español de forma gratuita en el sitio web de Aaron. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard y su gran cantidad de libros para jóvenes han recibido honores de la American Library Association, la New York Public Library, el Bank Street College of Education, la American Folklore Society y el National Council for the Social Studies. Habiendo ejercido antaño como cuentacuentos profesional, él se especializa en animadas renarraciones de cuentos populares y de otras creaciones de literatura tradicional. Wendy Edelson ha recibido honores del Pacific Northwest Book Award, del Moonbeam Children’s Book Award y del Mom’s Choice Award. Además de ilustrar numerosos libros de cuentos para niños, ha proporcionado el arte para el Seattle''s Woodland Park Zoo, el Seattle Aquarium, el Pacific Northwest Ballet, el U.S. Postal Service, la Cricket Magazine, McGraw-Hill Education y la American Library Association. Annette Granat les ha traducido más de cien libros para niños a diversas editoriales. Sus traducciones se han presentado en el Blanton Museum of Art y han sido publicadas digitalmente por la galardonada compañía EarthSky Communications como parte de su programa EarthSky en Español. También ha traducido para el Estado de Texas, la University of Texas at Austin y el International Center for the Enhancement of Learning Potential (ICELP). ///////////////////////////////////////////////// “La buena voluntad del legendario San Nicolás reverbera en este cuento sobre el origen de la expresión: ‘la docena del panadero’. […] La fácil de seguir renarración de Shepard tiene un sabor apropiado de Viejo Mundo”. Publishers Weekly “Una historia navideña particularmente bonita, realzada por ilustraciones llenas de detalles. […] De ritmo constante y con un buen largo para grupos o individuos, acierta perfectamente en el blanco con el público de lectores. La obra de arte de Edelson está repleta de personajes maravillosamente vivos, que casi se salen de las páginas”. Ilene Cooper, Booklist “Una nueva versión sensorial de un cuento tradicional. […] Con palabras bien elegidas y un texto de ritmo agradablemente constante que exige ser contado en voz alta. Un regalo para la época navideña”. School Library Journal “Un cuento con un mensaje que debe ser escuchado durante las Navidades y todo el año”. Children''s Book Review

Collects folk tales from Indonesia and Malaysia that relate the adventures of the trickster Mouse Deer, who must think and act quickly to avoid being eaten.

Want to try reader''s theater but don''t know where to start? Or have you tried it but want to find ways to bring it more to life? Or are you just looking for a fun, easy way to lure young people into reading fluency, cooperative effort, effective communication, and love of literature? "Readers on Stage" is a collection of resources for scripting, directing, and teaching reader''s theater, primarily to ages 8 and up. Part 1 offers three sample scripts to learn from and enjoy: "The Legend of Lightning Larry," "Peddler Polly and the Story Stealer," and "The Baker''s Dozen." Part 2 highlights each major aspect of reader''s theater -- scripting, staging, and dramatic reading -- offering tips and tricks you''re not likely to find elsewhere. For instance, you''ll learn how young readers can easily create their own scripts Part 3 provides all the plans, notes, handouts, and worksheets from actual reader''s theater workshops, ready for copying. Use them to start with reader''s theater tomorrow in a classroom or library, or to lead your own workshop for adults. Finally, Part 4 gives listings of additional resources. Whether you''re working with young readers, training teachers, or directing a professional company, you''ll want this unique, detailed guide. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of numerous children''s books and magazine stories, as well as three books on reader''s theater, "Stories on Stage," "Folktales on Stage," and "Readers on Stage." He spent five years as a professional actor in reader''s theater, performing in schools and conducting workshops for teachers, librarians, and students. He now hosts Aaron Shepard''s RT Page, the Web''s most popular reader''s theater destination, with visits by thousands of teachers and librarians each week. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "At last If you''ve been looking for a complete resource for teaching and using readers theatre, look no further. From scripts, to implementation strategies, to materials for workshops, Readers on Stage has it all. Aaron Shepard draws upon decades of work to provide a practical, well-organized, and reader-friendly book. Don''t miss it " -- Dr. Suzanne Barchers, author, Readers Theatre for Beginning Readers, and publisher, Storycart Press "For more than a decade, Aaron Shepard has been recognized nationally as an innovative, skilled, highly successful practitioner of readers theatre with emphasis on support of literature and reading, especially for teachers at elementary and middle-school levels. His latest book gives concise, clear, and practical tips for scriptmaking and staging, along with useful scripts and work materials." -- Dr. William Adams, Director, Institute for Readers Theatre "Readers on Stage is an outstanding resource for teachers. It is arranged so sensibly and cohesively that I cannot imagine anyone who uses it having a problem teaching the intricacies of reader''s theater." -- Susan Finney, author, Keep the Rest of the Class Reading and Writing While You Teach Small Groups "Aaron Shepard does it again . . . In Shepard''s familiar lighthearted style, Readers On Stage distills the world of RT into a highly readable manual for educators and instructors at all levels of the K-12 spectrum. Community theatre folks who take the time to peruse the pages will gain a greater understanding and appreciation of RT as theatre." -- R. Demers, Readers Theatre Digest, Fall 2004

Beauty and intelligence were the princess Savitri''s, and eyes that shone like the sun. So splendid was she that people thought her a goddess. When at last she found a man worthy to wed her, no one could sway her from her heart''s path -- not even the god of death. This lovely retelling, now in a 30th Anniversary Edition, presents a classic tale of devotion, courage, wit, and will from India''s national epic, the Mahabharata. (Original picture book title: "Savitri: A Tale of Ancient India.") TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER''S THEATER SCRIPT OF THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE IN AARON''S BOOK "FOLKTALES ON STAGE," OR FREE ON AARON''S WEB SITE. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker''s Dozen," "The Sea King''s Daughter," the Skyhook World Classics series, and many more children''s books. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. Vera Rosenberry has written and/or illustrated over 30 children''s books, including eight "Vera" books about her own childhood experiences. She was especially eager to work on "Savitri" as her husband is from India and grew up with tales from the Mahabharata. Also, she has always been fascinated by Indian miniature paintings--especially those of the Akbar period, which were produced as illustrations but, with their beautiful colors and intricate detail, stand on their own as works of art. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// 1997 & 2000 California Collection Selection "Unique and noteworthy . . . Shepard breathes new life into the sleeping archetype of the Indian heroine. Like ancient heroic myth, [Shepard''s interpretation] renews deep strains of potential within the reader." -- Publishers Weekly, Mar. 9, 1992 "A smooth retelling." -- Kirkus Reviews "Delicately rendered in both adaptation and illustration . . . A book that will open children''s eyes and ears to an unfamiliar lore, and provide rich contrast to Western parallels." -- Bulletin of the Center for Children''s Books "Profoundly moving." -- Children''s Bookwatch "Will enhance the social studies curriculum." -- Children''s Book Review Service "Reads aloud very well . . . Readers will enjoy the perspicacity and tenacity of this feisty heroine [and] be fascinated by the uniquely Indian cultural details." -- School Library Journal "Portrays a woman of great intelligence and courage, as well as virtue . . . The story and pictures show great sensitivity to Hindu lore and culture." -- Deva and Gayatri Rajan, Hinduism Today "Powerfully told, with a magic all its own. Savitri''s purity of spirit will touch the hearts of all readers, young and old." -- Meera Lester, India West "Fresh and respectful . . . Could be useful as an introduction to Indian classics for young adult readers, in a course on ancient cultures, or in any broad-based collection." -- Fran Stallings, Territorial Tattler "Looking for a painless dose of Hindu mythology? Here it is, with beautiful illustrations to boot." -- Ours (Adoptive Families of America

NOTE: PLEASE VISIT AARON''S PUBLISHING PAGE FOR ANY UPDATES TO THIS BOOK. Have you ever opened a Kindle book to find that the font started out way too small or way too large? Have you tried to change to a different font while reading and discovered you couldn''t? Have you jumped to a new chapter in a Kindle book and seen that the chapter heading lost its formatting? Has a Kindle completely ignored formatting you knew was in the book? According to Amazon, the simplest way to publish your Kindle book is to upload an HTML file you''ve saved from Microsoft Word or another app. By itself, that method can bring you maybe 80% of the way to a well-formatted, trouble-free ebook. But what about the other 20%? In this follow-up to his bestselling "From Word to Kindle," Aaron Shepard takes your saved HTML as a starting point and tells how to quickly tweak and tune it to avoid common problems. Assuming no knowledge of HTML, he introduces the basics of the language, then reveals how to use find-and-replace and macros to touch up an entire book in seconds! If you''re serious about Kindle publishing and you''re technically inclined -- but not a full-fledged geek -- Aaron provides the tips you need to bring your Kindle book to the next level, making it something truly to be proud of. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is a foremost proponent of the new business of profitable self publishing, which he has practiced and helped develop since 1998. He is the author of "Aiming at Amazon," "POD for Profit," "Perfect Pages," and Amazon''s #1 and #2 bestselling paid books on Kindle formatting, "From Word to Kindle" and "Pictures on Kindle." ///////////////////////////////////////////////// CONTENTS Getting Started 1 WORKING WITH HTML HTML and Kindle HTML Export HTML Editing HTML Processing HTML Basics HTML Checking HTML Cleanup HTML Testing 2 HTML FIXES Fixes for Fonts Fixes for Paragraphs Fixes for Headings Fixes for Line Breaking Fixes for Pictures Fixes for Navigation ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE Here are some of the things you can accomplish through changes in HTML. * Adjust bookmarks so headings retain proper formatting when jumped to. * Remove settings that stop the user from choosing their own. * Keep fonts from appearing much too small or much too large when the book is opened. * Make sure indents and other spacing stays relative to larger and smaller font sizes. * Avoid line breaks that leave short words dangling at the ends of lines or paragraphs. * Make up for features lost in translation from your word processor, like nonbreaking hyphens. * Stop "ghost hyphens" from appearing in the middle of words. * Keep pages of text from disappearing for some users. * Prevent the Kindle from applying its own defaults in place of your settings.

**********BECAUSE OF CHANGES AT AMAZON, READERS OF THIS BOOK SHOULD BE SURE TO VISIT THE AUTHOR''S WEB SITE FOR UPDATES********** PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS A COMPANION BOOK TO AARON''S "AIMING AT AMAZON" -- NOT A REPLACEMENT CreateSpace uses it. Lulu.com uses it. So do AuthorHouse, iUniverse, Xlibris, and almost every other self publishing company in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. What is it? Lightning Source, the printer and distributor at the heart of the "print on demand" industry. For the work those companies can''t handle themselves, it''s Lightning they most often depend on. So, why pay a middleman? In this follow-up to his groundbreaking book "Aiming at Amazon," Aaron Shepard explores how to double your profit by working directly with Lightning. If you''re serious about making money with POD publishing, this book can show you the way. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is a foremost proponent of the new business of profitable self publishing through print on demand, which he has practiced and helped develop since 1998. Unlike most authorities on self publishing, he makes the bulk of his living from his self-published books -- not from consulting, speaking, freelance writing, or selling publishing services. In a parallel life, Aaron is an award-winning children''s author with numerous books from publishers large and small. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "Aaron Shepard is the undisputed expert at earning profit from POD. Here are the step-by-step instructions for setting up your own publishing operation and optimizing the financial benefits. Following his steps, you will earn two or three times as much per book." -- Bruce Batchelor, author, "Book Marketing DeMystified," and founder and former CEO, Trafford Publishing "A graduate course and definitive guide for advanced POD publishing." -- Morris Rosenthal, author, "Print-on-Demand Book Publishing" "A tremendous amount of information that will benefit an author who self publishes not only through Lightning Source but by any other method." -- Kevin Sivils, author, "Self-Publishing with Amazon''s CreateSpace" "Remarkably thorough and readable." -- Jonathan LeBlanc Roberts, Breton Bay Publishing "Invaluable advice for any small press or independent publishing firm." -- Max Scratchmann, Poison Pixie Publishing "Could not be more timely or helpful. What a wealth of information . . . and not just what to do, but HOW." -- Malcolm Dell, Elbow Grease Publishing "Aaron Shepard is exceptional in his ability to keep up with the ever-changing minutiae of the world of self publishing via POD. I wouldn''t want to publish without this book within reach." -- John Culleton, Wexford Press "Don''t go into publishing without it." -- Grace Bridges, Splashdown Books "Another gold mine of information from Aaron Shepard. Absolutely required reading for any self publisher." -- Christy Pinheiro, author, "The Step-By-Step Guide to Self-Publishing for Profit " "Lots of valuable, easy-to-understand information. I will recommend this highly to my self-publishing clients as a reference for their many questions. Even after more than a decade in the business, I learned a few things from this book." -- Jamie Saloff, Saloff Enterprises "Indispensable if you are considering printing your book POD. Covers every aspect of the process in depth." -- Norma Lehmeier Hartie, Lingham Press

Many parts make a whole, in this short concept book for the very young. For ages 0 to 5. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard -- besides being Anne''s loving husband -- is the award-winning author of "The Baker''s Dozen," "The Legend of Lightning Larry," "The Sea King''s Daughter," and many more children''s books. This is his first concept book. Anne L. Watson is the author and/or illustrator of a number of children''s books, including the Katie Mouse and Coco Mouse books, as well as the author of numerous craft books and novels for adults. Her illustrations are imaginative collages assembled and manipulated in Photoshop. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// COMPLETE TEXT Many fingers, one hand. Many beads, one necklace. Many pieces, one puzzle. Many trees, one forest. Many colors, one rainbow. Many people, one world.

Nils n''en fait qu''à sa tête, et il décide même de quitter la maison. Son père le supplie de ne jamais travailler pour l''ogre, mais la tentation est trop forte... Heureusement, Ingrid, la servante de l''ogre, est là pour lui donner de sages conseils. Faut-il encore que Nils veuille bien l''écouter !

A talented musician from Novgorod plays so well that the Sea King wants him to marry one of his daughters.