Once a Shepherd
Age 5+
Picture Books
A story of love and war. He ‘wept ten thousand footsteps’ and ‘marched right into hell’.
Tom is a shepherd who leaves his wife and unborn child to fight in the First World War.
"Once there was a shepherd, a very special coat - and hope". A moving tale that will help grandparents connect personal experiences of war with young children
Reviews
A book that offers more with every reading.
The Bottom Shelf
This is a tragic story for very young children to read or hear but it is so beautifully told, in a finely designed and finished publication.
Reading Time
Just as Millard weaves, so too does Lesnie with details like the little boy’s flower garland echoing the strands of barbed wire in the picture of the trenches.
Book Chook
Not shying away from the sadness of death, and the loss during war, this uplifting book treads carefully and well in its subject matter of death and the circle of life continuing.
Children's Book Council of Australia
Taken together, the folkloric simplicity of the text and the quiet beauty of the illustrations pack a powerful punch for those families that want—or need—to confront wartime violence with their little ones.
Kirkus
