Peevish Pen

Ruminations on reading, writing, genealogy and family history, rural living, retirement, aging—and sometimes cats.

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Location: Rural Virginia, United States

I'm an elderly retired teacher who writes. Among my books are Ferradiddledumday (Appalachian version of the Rumpelstiltskin story), Stuck (middle grade paranormal novel), Patches on the Same Quilt (novel set in Franklin County, VA), Them That Go (an Appalachian novel), Miracle of the Concrete Jesus & Other Stories, and several Kindle ebooks.

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

The Tale of Ole Green Eyes

The Tale of Ole Green Eyes, by Cathy Kennedy, chronicles a visit of two young sisters, Brittany and Nicole, to their grandparents' farm in Tennessee.


There, the girls' great grandmother tells them about her childhood encounter with a Ole Green Eyes, a black panther who chased her and her sister through the woods of West Virginia and almost caught them. Although Brittany and Nicole have a pleasant visit with their grandparents—baking cookies, picking apples, going on a picnic—their great grandmother's story haunts them. When they take a walk deep into the woods, they notice claw marks and a big footprint. Could it be—?

This delightful 25-page book captures a simpler time in rural America and provides a positive look at children interacting with their older relatives. It's also based on a true story of a big cat encounter by the author's grandmother in West Virginia. The watercolor illustrations by Leann Vineyard Cooper are lovely.

The Tale of Ole Green Eyes could provide a springboard for parents or grandparents to tell kids about the old days and to share family stories.

I became interested in The Tale of Ole Green Eyes because one of my writer buddies blogged about it in November. I was already interested in black panthers in the Appalachian region because I'd met a black panther enthusiast, Alfred Willis at a meeting of the Hanover Writers Club last spring. That's where I acquired a copy of Willis's self-published book, Black Panthers: Little Known North American Treasure, in which he documents several black panther sightings in West Virginia.


To know that many people have encountered black panthers through the years and to have a true story of a black panther encounter used in a children's book is a double delight.
~

2 Comments:

Blogger CountryDew said...

I saw a black panther on my way home late one night after staying to learn the election results. I was returning from Craig County over Caldwell Mountain and it appeared in the headlights of my car. Everyone told me it must have been a little kitty but I knew better.

8:30 AM  
Blogger Randy Cullinan said...

I am probably the most serious researcher on the topic of Black Panthers in North America. I have had my own personal sighting and spoken to no less than 79 others that have as well. My knowledge and tracking the sightings geographically is pretty much limited to east of the Mississippi with about 10-12 states producing most of the sightings. Interested in hearing about sightings anywhere in the U.S. and if you contact me, I will make it clear why we have the beautiful cats in the U.S. Rabdey 804 690 6868

9:56 PM  

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