Once a Shepherd

by Glenda Millard, Phil Lesnie (Illustrations)

In poignant verse, the story of one young shepherd makes the experience of soldiers in World War I accessible to children.
 
Once there sang a carefree shepherd
in a field of emerald green. . . .
Once Tom’s world was all at peace.
 
Here is the tale of Tom Shepherd, tending his lambs and shearing their fleece and wooing his sweetheart, who weaves the sheep’s wool to make him a coat. But then the Great War comes, and Tom must leave his beloved wife and his unborn child and go off to fight. In a moving, sobering story that resolves in a heartbreaking but beautiful ending, Once a Shepherd evokes the reality of war in a way young children can understand, while fostering a deep-felt hope for peace.
 

Genres: Picture Books, Historical Fiction, War, Childrens, Grief, Family, Death

32 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2014

About the author

Glenda Millard was born in the Goldfields region of Central Victoria and has lived in the area all her life. The communities she has lived in and the surrounding landscapes have provided a rich source of inspiration and settings for many of her stories.

It was not until Glenda's four children became teenagers that she began to write in her spare time. She is now a full-time writer.

Apart from writing, some of Glenda's favorite things are Jack Russell Terriers, hot-air ballooning, making and eating bread and pizza in the wood-fired oven that her husband built in the back yard, and reading books which either make her laugh or cry.

Glenda has published six picture books, three junior fiction titles, short stories and two young adult titles. 'The Naming of Tishkin Silk' was shortlisted in the CBCA Book of the Year Awards and for the NSW Premier's Literary Awards.

Reviews

[Dale Harcombe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Told in rhyme this picture book tells the story of a shepherd whose world is at peace. He married his sweetheart and then had a child on the way. All felt right with the world until the day war invaded his peace. Tom left to go to war and marched ‘right into hell.’ In trying to help an enemy solder Tom pays the ultimate price. This is a book that is both beautiful and sad and there will be many like me who shed tears while reading it. But ultimately it is a book about hope, when peace reigns again despite the evils of war. Another beautiful and thoughtful text from Glenda Millard, it is complemented the delicate illustrations that echo the poetic text. Given its theme of loss and war, this is not a picture book for the very young but is a book that will provoke a lot of discussion. Beautifully told and illustrated, I can see this book featuring in children’s books awards.

[Anne Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haunting, spare, evocative.

But is it a kid's book? Hmmm... like a couple of others in Glenda Millard's oeuvre and almost all of Michael Morpurgo's children's novels, I really wonder how kids react to the story. Certainly they will be unable to appreciate the nostalgic overtones with the insight of an adult. They'd miss the poignancy but might grasp the sadness.

This is a lovely picture book about a shepherd who marries his sweetheart and then goes off to war - a hundred years or so ago.

In the centenary year of the start of World War I, this would make a great education discussion starter.

The watercolours are simply lovely.

[Jennie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A poignant and gentle story of Tom, growing up from shepherd, to husband, and soon to be father, to a soldier and then ultimately death in the trenches whilst trying to save an injured enemy soldier. Millard does not finish the story there but goes on to show the survivor returning Tom’s coat to his grieving wife, to then end on a hopeful note with Tom’s son playing contentedly.

Told in spare but evocative language, Millard has told this story in verse, but with inconsistent rhyme that ensures a more considered and sober reading
, but warrants a pre reading before reading aloud. The POV presents more as fable than with a sense of immediacy. Phil Lesne’s watercolour illustrations incorporate a great deal of green shades which could be seen as a celebration of life and renewal which seems an underlying theme. They are soft, with simplified but expressive faces.

A book to encourage young readers to explore www1 themes from a stance of compassion staying true to oneself in the midst of destruction.

[Mackenzie Duda]

We read this book in class to emphasize the importance of reading your books before putting them in your classroom library. This story looks gentle and comforting and maybe even a gift one would buy for a young child for read-aloud. One finds out throughout the story that, though it starts off mild and happy, it gets sad real quick and becomes a story of despair and loss.

- rhyme scheme present
- war
- death of a parent/father

[Savanna Ficklen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite books! It’s devastating but real about the realities of War and its effect on life. Especially the lives of the soldiers and their families. This is one I only bring out sometimes and I keep it on my shelf. My three year old asks for it. He loves books in wars and soldiers so I use this book as an opportunity to explain the effects it has on some families. That it’s not all glory, victory, and freedom, but that it comes with a cost.

[Robert Gowdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good story. Touches on the topic of war and the tragedy that follows war. Also touches on the topic of love and family and family support throughout ordeals such as war. An interesting painted collection of pieces that talks about war without disgusting the audience. Would use to educate students about the tragedy of war and what it can look like for the people at home.

[Isabel Bryan [the Bookmark Hoarder] · Rating 3 out of 5]

The jacket summary says this book has a "heartbreaking but beautiful ending." I should've paid more attention to that before I became emotionally invested... Now I'm crying at a children's book poem 😭

(I mean, I knew this was a book to help talk about war with children but did they have to give it such a sad/realistic ending?)

[April · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a "children's book" this was very serious and moving and had unexpected turns. A beautiful moving story told through verse. I loved every page of it.

[Shiloah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful story. Beautiful illustrations.

[Red · Rating 5 out of 5]

So short and poignant. It leaves a lot of space for the adult to explain the themes of war and grief.

[Laura Liana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Remembrance Day

[Creative Kids Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

With 2014 marking one hundred years since the outbreak of hostilities in World War One, Glenda Millard and Phil Lesnie have created “Once a Shepherd”, a profound reminder of the devastating impact of war on the lives ordinary people. In “Once a Shepherd”, Glenda Millard and Phil Lesnie tell of one good man, who dies on the battlefield, and those whose lives he changes.

While immediately touched by the haunting simplicity of “Once a Shepherd”, this reviewer considers that its real power lies in the juxtaposition of contrasts. Millard and Lesnie weave words and pictures, life and death, joy and grief, fear and bravery, continuity and change, humanity and inhumanity seamlessly into the fabric of the story. In one way another, wool also threads its way through the book from end cover to end cover, transforming from fleece to yarn to cloth to garment and finally to a soft toy.

Recommended for independent readers, “Once a Shepherd” will also appeal to the parents, grandparents and educators of youngsters learning about the human experience of wartime. Finally, “Once a Shepherd” leaves the reader with a sad and enduring irony. The shepherd, who loses his life in World War One – supposedly the war to end all wars - leaves behind a baby son who will be exactly the right age to follow his father’s footsteps in World War Two.

Reviewed for Creative Kids Tales by Irene Buckler

[Stuart · Rating 3 out of 5]

Once a Shepherd tells the story of Tom Shepherd, a young shepherd without a care in the world. It is a time of peace. He gets married and his wife becomes pregnant. However, his world is quickly turned upside down with the arrival of World War I. He must go off and fight in the war and unfortunately does not come back. In fact, the enemy soldier who kills Tom is so grief-stricken, he feels he must personally go and tell Tom's wife about his death.

My wife warned me not to get this book, and she was right. It is a very sobering tale, which I'm unsure how you read this to a child without depressing them for a week, if not longer. The writing style and illustrations also left a bit to be desired. Every page starts with the words "Once a..." and while I get that repetition is good for children, it grew tedious. The illustrations themselves aren't bad, but are what I would describe as watercolor. The dust jacket/cover of the book has a look of stitching, and if the whole book would have been illustrated this way, I would rate this book higher as that would at least be clever and on theme. Unfortunately. I can only give this book three stars, as the story is depressing and the illustrations weren't what I'd look for in a children's book.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although he loves his idyllic life tending sheep, Tom Shepherd does his duty and heads off to war. When he doesn't return, his wife and the child he never got to see must somehow find a way to carry on. I liked how the poetic lines kept repeating that "once" in an almost fairy tale fashion, and how the lines and the lovely watercolor illustrations contrast scenes of war and peace. While nothing can help Cherry, Tom's wife, feel better, at least her pain is eased by knowing how he died and in imagining a world without conflict. This picture book provides a way to introduce war's painful losses while also providing some hope for a peaceful future because of those losses.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tom was a shepherd. He cared for the lambs, he loved his sweetheart, once they were married, he loved his unborn child. Sadly, Tom has to go off to war (World War I) and doesn't come home. A fellow soldier who was with Tom when he died, comes to Tom's home and brings Tom's jacket to Tom's wife. She rips the seams out of the jacket she'd made for Tom before the war and makes a little toy lamb for Tom's son.

A book that hit me just by turning the page. I wasn't anticipating the war and I'm sure other parents will be struck the same way I was. It's a sad but true story for so many families.

[Sarah Duggan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Beautifully illustrated with simple, charming verse, this book about loss in WWI packs a wallop. War abruptly intrudes on the narration of a shepherd's idyllic family life with no warning. There's no geopolitics here, just a hymn to the English countryside and the story of how one family found strength to move forward in their loved one's memory.

If you'd like to experience Downton Abbey-eque emotional evisceration in picture book form, this is the volume for you.

[Kelsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Age: Kindergarten-3rd grade
Tough Issue: Death
History: World War

Phew. This book leaves much to be discussed and would best be facilitated by a teacher while doing a unit on war or loss. While the text is relatively minimal, the topic is heavy as the main character dies and is shown dead, leaving his wife a widow with an unborn child. The text is ominous and sadly nostalgic, yet realistic, so teachers will want to help students process this sad reality of our history and modern day wars.

[Tinnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The illustrations and the colour are so beautiful,
but why does the story have to end that way?
I don't know how I could read this to a kid,
without causing any form of dismay.

The book is a true representation of the love and war,
Yet, for a children's book I think it may be too deep,
I shall test it out this week and see how it goes,
I'm going to read it to my cousins before they go to sleep.

Although a depressing story, it was riveting and beautifully conveyed.

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a picture book for younger children with a father who does not return from war. Soft but powerful illustrations reflect the soft but powerful words. Poetic form leads the reader deep into the heart of young love.

[Desna · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very special and moving tale of a young soldier - a shepherd at heart. I am moved every time I read this book. Even the end pages impact on the reader. Great picture book with a powerful message about war and what we can learn from it.

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me tear up. An amazing picture book that really shows the loss of war in such a simple yet powerful way. I actually think this book would be great for the primary grades (3-6) in a gentle start to learning about loss and war that will not be overwhelming for them.

[Edward Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful, tragic, and profoundly moving.

[Carmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another masterpiece from Glenda Millard! This one is sure to be on all the shortlists!

[Glenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Moving and beautifully illustrated. Perfect.

[Shallowreader VaVeros · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lovely Tom Shepherd falls in love, gets married and heads to war leaving behind his pregnant wife. Rather poignant.

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is profound but very heavy. Definitely for an older audience. I'd say 4th grade and up.

[Deb Reddy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't think this was necessarily written for children, but I loved it nonetheless!