Mi amigo Dennis McGregor has published a book. And a damn fine one it is, too.
Dennis is an artist, storyteller and songwriter of immense talent, living out here in the middle of Oregon in a corner of the county that no one cares about.
He and his partner Kimry Jelen, herself an exquisite artist and a talented horse trainer, put together a successful Kickstarter campaign to fund the publication of Dennis’ book “Dream Again” in a classy hardback that properly showcases the wonderful illustrations.
It’s a children’s book that, like all the best children’s books, really speaks to all of us. It’s an absorbing story that takes the heroine, Annie, across the ruggedly beautiful landscape of our part of the country.
The only thing Annie has to remember her family by is a patchwork quilt made from their worn-out clothes. When the quilt gets lost along the Oregon Trail, an epic adventure begins.
Visit http://www.dreamagainchildrensbook.com to see sample illustrations. It’s got a quilt, spectacular country, horses, Indians, a mountain man, townsfolk, a beautiful and spunky young heroine. I’ve been told that one nefarious feller resembles a certain blogger who writes on obscure topics of frontier history, but that may be folklore… I ain’t sayin’.
Dennis is a canny fellow: Our hometown hosts the biggest outdoor quilt show in the world (seriously). Dennis did the poster for the event for many years, and he sets up a tent to peddle his wares to the quilters each July. “Dream Again,” with its quilt theme, was a big hit at this year’s show.
So if there’s a quilter or a kid in your life, or if you just like a story well told and richly illustrated, pick up a copy or three of “Dream Again.” And watch out for that cross-eyed dude.
Learn more about Dennis McGregor at http://www.dennismcgregor.com.
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