Denver Artist Betsy Shepardson Brings Her Picture Book Magic to Central City With a Signing at Gilpin Arts Gallery
CENTRAL CITY, CO — Denver author and artist Betsy Shepardson brought her self-published children’s book to the Gilpin Arts Gallery in Central City for a signing on July 24, 2026. Visitors could meet the creator behind The Surprising Adventure: A Story in Words and Pictures and browse a world that mixes illustration, storytelling, and hands-on charm.
The 28-page book follows Emily, a girl who finds an old volume in her attic and is drawn inside its pages. Along the way, Shepardson uses words and pictures together so readers can spot small details in the forest setting, from hidden animals to shifting light that suggests time passing.
A children’s story built around pictures, clues, and tiny helpers
Shepardson wrote, illustrated, and published the book herself, and she said the idea grew from a childhood love of books and the wish to step into one. Emily travels through an enchanted forest with help from a wizard named Zorac and characters including Bear, the Littlest Squirrel, Rabbit, and Stag.
Finger puppets were available during the signing so children could follow the story along with the characters. Shepardson said Emily is not a perfect stand-in for her, but like many children’s-book heroes, the character reflects parts of the author’s own personality and curiosity.
From Denver roots to galleries, bookstores, and story cards
One of the book’s clearest messages comes through the Littlest Squirrel, who learns she can help solve a huge problem after a bear starts eating the forest’s winter food. Shepardson said a reviewer summed up the theme well: “Littles can do big things.”
Her creative work goes beyond the book itself. Around the gallery, Shepardson displayed original paintings, prints, and illustrated story cards that open like greeting cards but contain short adventures of their own, including a Halloween-themed “Boo” card set in an enchanted pumpkin patch.
What readers can find now and where Shepardson is taking the project next
Shepardson grew up in Denver and studied at the Art Students League of New York before blending writing and painting into one practice. She said readers initially noticed her work as writing, but over time her artwork became just as central to how people connected with her stories.
She is now placing both her books and story cards in galleries, museums, and bookstores across Colorado. Signed copies of The Surprising Adventure: A Story in Words and Pictures are available at the Gilpin Arts Gallery, and the book can also be purchased through her website, Amazon, the Barnes & Noble store in Glendale, and Bookshop.org.
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