The Picture Stone

a children's book by David G. Hepworth

Picture Stone Cover Image

ISBN 1-4120-9053-9

80 Pages; quality trade paperback (soft cover); C $13.000

(5.5"w X 8.5"h)

Trafford Publishing

6E-2333 Government St.

Victoria BC V8T 4P4

1-888-232-4444

Imagine - it's one of those lazy, hazy summer days at the lake. Then, without warning, something unusual happens.

For Mindy, it was such a day - one minute she was quietly reading a book while relaxing under a tree and the next she was having an encounter with a large mysterious bird. Before long, she found herself on a mystical journey to a party at a castle in a far away land where anything is possible.

Follow Mindy on her incredible journey - as she learns of her special powers and discovers the magic of "The Picture Stone." Along the way you'll meet a talking frog, a princess, a magician and children from all over the world.

Join the children - as they play the game "What if" and remember, don't forget to read about Mindy's special gift. Maybe you too, have been blessed with the special power.

- Suitable for children 8+ yrs

- A non-violent thought provoking adventure for young readers

- Promotes the importance of communication and understanding

Where to Buy

About Dave

Dave retired from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 2003 after a career in law enforcement that spanned more than 38 years.

In 1968, Dave and his family were transferred from Gimli Manitoba to Regina Saskatchewan where they currently reside. They have two children and four grandchildren - all living in Regina.

Dave's roots extend back to the small rural village of Kintore Ontario where he was born and raised. As a youngster he was surrounded with a family of "story tellers" and grew up in an era when TV sets were few and far between. Children's stories were often generated on the spot by parents and family members rather than read from books.

Dave has kept that same story telling tradition with his own grandchildren and was inspired to write this book for his granddaughter Cassandra.

"The Picture Stone," published in 2006, is Dave's first publication.

To contact Dave (click here )

Excerpts

Moments later, Mindy was startled by a small gust of wind somewhere next to her body. She quickly opened her eyes and there in front of her sat the most beautiful golden bird she’d ever seen. In fact, she’d never seen such a large bird in her entire life. At first glance, it frightened her and her immediate response was to spring to her feet and run away. Just as she rose from the chair, the bird cocked its head to one side, looked directly at her and said, “Hi Mindy, how are you today?”

To say the least, Mindy was shocked! A talking bird! It was unbelievable! The only type of bird Mindy was aware of that could talk was a parrot, but this bird was much larger and looked nothing like a parrot. She really didn’t know what to think. She looked at the bird hoping to confirm it was a parrot, but it sure didn’t look like any type of parrot she’d ever seen. It was much too large and it was a solid gold colour. Mindy didn’t know a lot about birds, but she knew enough to realize the bird in front of her was definitely not a parrot.

There was little doubt Mindy was frightened by the encounter. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest and knew she should get away from the bird as quickly as possible. Even though she knew what she should do though, something told her the bird wasn’t going to harm her.

Mindy slowly began backing away to place some distance between the bird and herself. As she inched backwards, she avoided direct eye contact with the bird and in a faint little voice managed to say, “Pardon me?”

The bird immediately hopped toward her and in a clear voice again greeted her. “Hi Mindy, how are you today?”

This time Mindy looked straight into the eyes of the bird and in a clear stern voice said, “excuse me, but how do you know my name, and what kind of a bird are you anyway?”

The bird cocked its head to one side and replied, “Well, Mindy, it’s a long story. I’m known as a Gruck and I flew here from the land of Zot. It took me a long time to get here and forever to find you. Did you know you’re a hard person to track down?”

Mindy was shocked! First a talking bird called a Gruck and on top of that, it knew her name! Surely this must be a dream. She pinched herself, thinking it might be a dream. It really hurt. “This can’t be a dream,” she said to herself. “I’ve never heard of anything like this before. I’ve seen lots of birds, but never one like this. My dad and grandpa know a lot about birds, but no one ever mentioned anything about a Gruck, much less one that talks.”

Mindy looked at the bird in disbelief. “I don’t believe you’re real. Is this some sort of trick?”

“No!” replied the bird, “I really am a Gruck, just as a duck is a duck and a goose is a goose and so on. My name is Bolo. Princess Min from the land of Zot sent me to find and invite you to a party at the palace next Saturday afternoon at two o’clock. Do you think you could come to the party?”

Mindy couldn’t believe her ears. “I’m sorry,” she replied politely, “but I don’t know who you are. I’ve never heard of Princess Min or the land of Zot.”

“Don’t worry,” explained Bolo, “the land of Zot is a beautiful place you will really like. Princess Min is a girl about your age and she would really like to play with you. If your mom and dad will let you attend the party, I’ll escort you to the castle next Saturday, and make sure you get home safely. You don’t need to worry, because it’s my job to look after you.”

Mindy stared at the bird for what seemed the longest time. All the while she was trying to decide if what she was seeing was some sort of elaborate practical joke. As it turned out, she did have reason to suspect a practical joke. To her family and friends Mindy was well known as a practical joker so she had reason to suspect someone might be attempting to even the score. On the other hand though, she couldn’t visualize how anyone could construct such an elaborate joke. “Who is Princess Min?” she asked.

“Well,” replied Bolo, “Princess Min is the Queen’s daughter.”

“What Queen?” asked Mindy.

“The Queen of Zot,” he replied. “To make a long story short, Princess Min doesn’t have very many friends because she lives in a large castle. She heard about you from some of the other birds from Zot that have seen you at your cottage this summer. She really wants to meet you, so I was asked to find you and invite you to the party. She would be so happy if you could attend. I would be very pleased if I could return and tell her you will be coming to the party. Will you please attend?”

Mindy thought about Bolo’s request for a moment or two before she replied. She wasn’t sure if she should accept the invitation but in the end nodded her head in agreement and replied, “well I suppose I could, if my Mom and Dad will let me.”

Bolo looked very pleased as he settled into a comfortable position beside her chair. “Well, go ask them and I’ll wait for you here.”

Reviews

(1) Review Posted by: TheGottaWriteNetwork.com (July 2007)

David G. Hepworth's first children's book, The Picture Stone, is a delightfully refreshing tale of the power of imagination. In a world where children's lives are now filled with video games and personal dvd players, Hepworth resurrects the charms of carefree afternoons and "what if..."

Mindy Magee and her family travel to a lakeside cottage, where Mindy's adventure begins. As she drifts off to dream under a tree in the meadow, she's startled by a magical creature, Bolo, who tells her about a princess and a party in a faraway land. Princess Min has sent Bolo to offer Mindy a special invitation to the party and Mindy excitedly accepts the invitation.

The day of the party we meet a talking frog, learn about a magic stick that offers travel between "here" and "there," discover enchanted rainbow bracelets that allow party guests from many different cultures to understand one another, and realize the significance of the Picture Stone.

The Picture Stone is not only entertaining, but provides an opening for discussion about friendship spanning cultural and geographical distances. For children of all ages: 2 to 102.

4 out of 5 smiling princesses
Reviewed by True North, gottawritenetwork.com
July 10, 2007

(2) Book Review by Kay Parley: (September 2006)

Kay Parley is a long time member of the Saskatchewan Writer's Guild. She was raised on a farm in a Scots Pioneer community near Wolseley, Saskatchewan. She is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan (Honours Sociology, B. Ed), 3 years training in psychiatric nursing, also Lorne Green's Academy of Radio Arts in Toronto. She began publishing stories and articles in 1951, chiefly history. In addition to having published several books of her own, she is also an accomplished artist. Kay is retired and still lives in Saskatoon Saskatchewan.

The Picture Stone by David G. Hepworth (Trafford Publishing, 2006) is an excursion into fantasyland that is bound to be popular with young girls. A child's anticipation of a birthday party can be exciting enough to break through the bounds of reality. Mindy Magee's experience takes her under the rainbow (there's a switch!) into a magic land where "all things are possible" and all of the animals can talk. There are trees and birds and flowers, so the environment gives the impression of being very like our own, but brighter. It intrigued me that Princess Min, who gives the party, is so like Mindy herself she could be her twin. That is when I realized that Mindy is really on a search for self-identity.

The highlight of the story is the scene when Pedro, the clown magician, entertains at the party with his game of "What if." The adults in Mindy's world tend to belittle her imagination, but Pedro makes her see that she has a wonderful gift, one that can be used in any number of useful and important ways. It is worth buying this book to catch the magician's act alone.

Although Mindy's gift of imagination, symbolized by the picture stone, is treated as the central lesson, I was even more impressed by the underlying theme of the story, the theme of global togetherness. We need a world where different languages and culture no longer create barriers. It may surprise today's young people when I tell them many of us held the same ideal in the 1920's. In those days, children often belonged to an organization called Mission Band, and members received a little newspaper called World Friends. There was always a picture on the cover showing a group of children holding hands in a circle around the globe. They were of every race and dressed in the costumes of many cultures, but they were "world friends." The Picture made a profound and lasting impression on me before I was eight years old, and it left me with hope for a world of brotherhood, so I was quick to recognize the importance of the "rainbow bracelets" in David Hepworth's story. Children who read this book, or hear it read, are going to remember the magic bracelets which allowed the guests at the party to communicate easily, though they spoke many different languages.

I like to see children's literature that teaches, but no one wants the lessons to be blatantly hammered home. We are safe with Mindy's story. Lessons are not preached; they are revealed as part of the fun times.

There are things which could have been improved in The Picture Stone. Description can be overdone, but it can also be underdone, and this is often the case here. "A beautiful home" would have carried a much clearer image if it had been something like "a pink bungalow." A word like "spectacular" more-or-less describes a sunset, but it doesn't show it. I felt too many opportunities to employ our five senses were missed and I would have liked to see more specifics in place of generalizations, but that's an adult point of view. A child's mind will fill in the blanks.

I was also disappointed to see a dodo in the illustration supposedly representing Mindy's magical guide, the golden bird. The dodo of Mauritius is too well-known to take the place of a bird of fantasy. It would have been better to leave the bird to the child's vivid imagination. The cover of the book is exceptionally eye-catching, but this reviewer took exception to the use of photos as inside illustrations. A fantasy of this nature deserves to be illustrated by the sketches of a creative artist.

Such criticism should not deter anyone from buying The Picture Stone for a young girl on their Christmas list. Mindy's adventure marks an important step in her development and it should provide stimulation for other girls gifted with imagination. This is a good children's story.

(3) Review Posted by: Young Adults & Kids Book Central (September 2006)

The Picture Stone by David G. Hepworth

Imagination- the greatest gift of all
a review by Alyssa Feller

Mindy Magee’s life was always quiet and ordinary. Then one day while reading a book she meets a golden bird. The strange thing is, this bird can talk. Introducing himself as Bolo, the bird explains he is from a magical land named Zot and has come to invite Mindy to Princess Min’s birthday party.

How could anyone refuse an offer like that? Mindy accepts and is taken to the land of Zot. There she sees all sorts of wonders including a talking frog, a magician, and a “picture stone” that lets her see the land of Zot anytime she wants.

Filled with all sort of magical delights, The Picture Stone takes readers on a journey through their imaginations. Follow Mindy through her magical quest as she uses her mind to play the game of “what if.”

Recommended for readers age 8 and up.

(4) Review Posted by: TheReadingTub.com (August 2006)

Book Summary:

Mindy Magee finished lunch, gathered her beach chair and some books, found her favorite spot under a shade tree by the lake, and began to read. After a few minutes, she nodded off to sleep. A chilling breeze and an odd sound awakened her. In front of her was a large golden bird who introduced himself to her and extended an invitation to a party from Princess Min of the land of Zot. Should she go? Will it be dangerous? What will she tell her parents? Would she be able to return? This is a chapter book fantasy for pre-teens.

Big Kid Reaction:

In addition to writing a great story, the author gives the reader ample opportunity to reflect/discuss questions about family, friends, personal responsibilities, curiosity, and power of a positive outlook on life.

Pros:

This is a simple and imaginative adventure story. The plot is interesting and quick paced. The characters and their roles are carefully drawn and are essential to the adventure.

family reading, anytime reading, read aloud book, middle reader book
This book is a "buy" for a bedtime reading selection and/or for a read aloud book for the classroom.

Educational Themes:

The story demonstrates the wonder of imagination, the lure of curiosity, and the power of a positive outlook on life. The plot and characters provide ample topics and situations for meaningful thought and discussion.

Other Books by Dave

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