Most Popular Books by Aaron Shepard

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. TEACHERS AND LIBRARIANS -- A READER''S THEATER SCRIPT FOR THIS BOOK IS AVAILABLE ON AARON''S WEB SITE. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// 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 "An enchanting fairytale that is easy to read and follow along, keeping youngsters excited and involved in the action." -- Kimberly Poe, Goodreads reviewer, November 18, 2018 "Not just for kids, grown-up youngsters will love it, as well. Beautiful art, beautifully done re-telling -- LOVED IT!" -- RaChelle Holmberg, Goodreads reviewer, January 24, 2022 "It''s the cute-enough-to-go-into-a-coma artwork by Wendy Edelson coupled with Brothers Grimm that hooked me. Very short read with easy sentences and rhymes. Adorable." -- Korrin Kearney, Goodreads reviewer, March 1, 2022 "The illustrations are gorgeous and filled with detail. Those alone make this book worth a read. I also enjoyed the lesser known (where I live) fairy tale . . . A good choice to read to children of all ages." -- Morris Morgan, Goodreads reviewer, March 7, 2022 "A great book to teach children the elements of fairytale. It is interesting, repetitive, funny, and based on a European folktale. As a grade 3 teacher, I would definitely purchase this book for my classroom library." -- Angie Kuhnle, teacher, March 13, 2022 "A darling retelling of a classic fairytale with so many great qualities. The rhythm, sets of threes, illustrations, and page design all come together to create a wonderful read-aloud." -- Callie Anna Oxner, Goodreads reviewer, March 21, 2022 "Filled with surprises and delights . . . Bright and colorful in every way." -- Linda Gill, The Reader and the Book (blog), March 24, 2022 "A simple but absolutely delightful story, this one is one of my favorites of this year." -- Michelle Kalm, Goodreads reviewer, March 30, 2022 "Children will be delighted to take part in the storytelling and thrilled with the satisfying conclusion . . . Illustrator Wendy Edelson has created masterful renderings of the action. The highly detailed art bursts with color and action and will draw youngsters into its pages."-- Jill Stanish, Live to Read to Live (blog), April 20, 2022

"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.

¿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

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

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.

**********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

A baker in colonial New York learns the importance of generosity from an old woman who visits his shop on St. Nicholas Day.

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.

"The Christmas Truce of 1914 is one of the most extraordinary incidents not only of World War I but of all military history. Providing inspiration for songs, books, plays and movies, it has endured as an archetypal image of peace. Yet much about the historic event remains shrouded in myth and legend. In this fictional letter--illustrated in authentic detail by Wendy Edelson--award-winning author Aaron Shepard draws from firsthand accounts of soldiers at the front to portray the truce in its true nature and spirit"--Page 4 of cover.

The Monkey King, having hatched from a stone four hundred years ago and reached the heights of worldly greatness, sets out on a quest to learn how to become one of the Immortals.

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

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.