Book Nook

Selections reviewed by CML Staff

Adventures in Park Valley: The Panicky Picnic

Penny Lea, Author; Tony Uriz, Illustrator

The back cover reads: “It’s the perfect day for a picnic! Join Annie and her very special animal friends as they gather at Sunny Day Park in Park Valley for a picnic featuring delicious lemonade and other treats. You’ll get to meet Mrs. Bellflower, Christopher Chipmunk, Daniel Dachshund, Kelly Kitten, Stephanie Skunk, and other furry pals.”

It is a picnic that truly every child would love to attend! The problem is, not everyone thinks Stephanie Skunk is the sweetest skunk in Park Valley. That’s where the picnic takes a turn for the worse, but not in the way you might think. Let’s just say it involves some preconceived notions, airborne marbles, a bully named Tommy, and a bad case of “picnic panic.”

There is a grand message in this sweet little book—one that is quite poignant as we struggle to understand and respect one another. This is a great story to read with the youngsters in your life that shares an all-too-powerful, yet simple lesson: Kindness wins! Penny Lea lives in the mountains of NC. The Panicky Picnic is her first children’s book, and is available at sunnydaypark.com, or at the Sunny Day Park store at 1098 Main Street, Downtown Blowing Rock, NC.

The Ashe County Frescoes of Benjamin F. Long IV

Janet C. Pittard and David B. Chiswell, Authors

Commissioned by the Ashe County Fresco Foundation, The Ashe County Frescoes of Benjamin F. Long IV, written by Janet Pittard and David Chiswell and published in July, 2021, presents the most up to date and complete history of the frescoes that decorate the walls of the two Episcopal churches in Ashe County, NC: St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in West Jefferson and Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Glendale Springs.

Interest in Benjamin Franklin Long’s frescoes has certainly grown in the 47 years since he painted his first Ashe County fresco; with the later addition of frescoes in Wilkesboro, Crossnore, Morganton, Montreat and Charlotte, nearly everyone in the region is familiar with “Ben Long frescoes,” even if they have never seen one in person.

For those less familiar with the master artist’s work in our region, The Ashe County Frescoes helps us realize how Ben Long was “called” to the area to share his gifts and transform blank walls into larger-than-life biblical characters and scenes. The book delves deeper in time as it logs the arrival of the Episcopal Church in Ashe County around the mid-1800s, and even deeper in time—3,000 years ago—to discuss the origins of fresco painting itself.

Readers will find the book to be an excellent resource for understanding and appreciating the various methods involved in fresco painting. “Buon fresco” or “true fresco” requires labor-intensive techniques, which are the same techniques used by Ben Long. Buon fresco involves mixing sand and lime with expensive pigments from clays and minerals imported from France and Italy to produce the colors used in the fresco. Photos throughout the book document the arduous process for painting each fresco and show a young Ben Long in action—from pencil sketches, to life-size drawings to layering plaster on the walls. You’ll learn about the inspiration behind every work, as well as the many people involved in each project, from the live models to the “pouncing” workers.

The book also shares the frescoes’ impact on the greater community and the role of the Ashe County Frescoes Foundation in the protection and preservation of these religious works of art. The frescoes continue to gain in popularity, and church records show that between 50,000 and 60,000 art lovers, religious pilgrims and tourists visit these frescoes each year. In fact, they are celebrated with an annual Festival of the Frescoes, which takes place this year on Saturday, October 9, from 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. at 120 Glendale School Rd, Glendale Springs, across from Holy Trinity Episcopal Church.

This popular, well-attended annual event features local artisans, delicious bakery items, a silent auction, “Granny’s Attic,” and lunch options. Activities for children and tours of the frescoes are included. For more information, visit ashechamber.com, ashefrescoes.org, or call 828-964-5880.

Order your copy of The Ashe County Frescoes of Benjamin F. Long IV in digital or print format at various online outlets, or purchase at select establishments throughout Ashe County, NC.