Storyteller, Humorist, Keynote Speaker, TV Host
"Just as New Jersey has Bruce Springsteen, West Virginia has Bil Lepp" Goldenseal Magazine
selected appearances
National Storytelling Festival, TN
NPR’s Mountain Stage
Smithsonian Folk Life Festival, Washington, DC
Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, Orem, UT
Indian Summer Storytelling Festival, Vernal, UT
Cave Run Storytelling Festival, Morehead, KY
Southern Ohio Storytelling Festival
Three Rivers Storytelling Festival, Pittsburgh, PA
Ojai Storytelling Festival, CA
Pigeon Forge Storytelling Festival, TN
Kansas Storytelling Festival
Four Corners Storytelling Festival, NM
WV State Parks
Patchwork Storytelling Festival, SC
Dogwood Festival, Dowagiac, MI
Laurinburg Storytelling Festival, NC
Sierra Storytelling Festival, Nevada City, CA
Selma Storytelling Festival, AL
Athens Storytelling Festival, AL
Brandywine Storytelling Festival, DE
Frisco Storytelling Festival, TX
Stitching Stars Festival, Athens, GA
Mariposa Storytelling Festival, CA
Akron Storytelling Festival, OH
Ocala Storytelling Festival, FL
Louisiana Library Tour, LA
Winter Tales, Oklahoma City, OK
Schaumburg Prairie Center for the Arts Storytelling Festival, IL
St. Louis Storytelling Festival
Buffalo Commons Storytelling Festival, McCook NE
Hoosier Storytelling Festival, Indianapolis, IN
Arkansas Storytelling Festival, Degray Resort, AR
Tapestry of Tales, Portland, OR
Florida Story Camp
Stories by Sea, Malibu, CA
Smithsonian to the Mountains Tour
Smokey River Festival, KS
Storytelling Festival by the Sea, Trinidad, CA
Michigan Storytelling Festival, MI
Bristol Storytelling Festival, IN
Bay Area Storytelling Festival, San Francisco, CA
Washington Storyteller’s Theater, DC
George West Storytelling Festival, TX
awards& Achievements
2018 Vandalia Award- West Virginia’s highest folk arts award
2018 Parents’ Choice Silver Award- Raised on Hosewater, CD
2017 CityBeat Critic’s Pick- Cincy Fringe Festival
2016 Parents’ Choice Silver Award- Bottle Rockets, CD
2015 Parents’ Choice Gold Award- Wally! Come Down Right Now! CD
2015 Anne Izzard Storyteller’s Choice Award- The King of Little Things, Picture Book
2015 Storytelling World Award- Egg Babies, CD
2014 PEN Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing - The King of Little Things, Picture Book
2014 Korea Institute of Child Education and Culture Chief Book Selected- The King of Little Things
2014 Zena Sutherland Award for Children’s Literature- The King of Little Things, Picture Book
2014 National Book Festival- The King of Little Things selected by WV Library Comm. to represent all
books by WV authors
2014 Irma Black Award Honoree- The King of Little Things, Picture Book
2014 Delaware Diamonds Award Nominee- The King of Little Things, Picture Book
2014 Kansas Reading Assoc. Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award Finalist- The King of Little Things
2013 Parents’ Choice Gold Award - The King of Little Things, Picture Book
2013-Kirkus Starred Review -The King of Little Things, Picture Book
2002-2017 Featured Performer at the National Storytelling Festival
2013 Parents’ Choice Silver Award – Egg Babies, CD
2012 Number 1 Best Seller in its category on Amazon/Kindle - Muddling Through, parenting book
2012 Comedy Central Stage at the Hudson
2011 Storytelling World Award- Vampire Santa, CD
2011 National Storytelling Network Circle of Excellence Award
2010 Parents’ Choice Silver Award – Vampire Santa, CD
2009 Parents’ Choice Approved Award Winner – King of Little Things, CD
2008 NAPPA Honors Award- Mayhem Dressed Like an Eight Point Buck, CD
2008 Storytelling World Award Honors – Teacher & The Divine Bovine, CDs
2006 Parents’ Choice Approved Award Winner – Teacher in the Patriotic Bathing Suit, CD
2003 Featured Storyteller at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival
2000 Storytelling World Award – The Monster Stick, Book
2000 PLA/ALLS Best New Books for New Adult Readers – The Monster Stick, Book
1992, 1996-1999 Five Time Champion – WV Liars Contest
2000 First Place- National Storytelling Contest
publications
2018 The Princess and the Pickup Truck, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV
2013 King of Little Things, Peachtree Publishers, GA. Children’s Book.
2012 Muddling Through-Perspectives in Parenting, Familius Press, UT. Non-fiction.
2008 Halfdollar, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV. Novel.
2004 Armadillo Recon Unit, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV. Collection of Stories.
2002 Inept: Impaired: Overwhelmed, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV. Collection of Stories.
1999 The Monster Stick, August House Publishers, Little Rock, AR. Collection of Stories.
Audio Collections
2019 Book Report, Buckdog Records, Charleston, WV
2018 Skeeter & Bil Break the Ocean, Buckdog Records, Charleston, WV.
2017 Raised on Hose Water, Road Candy Records, Christiansburg, VA.
2016 Fortune Turkey Tunaball, Road Candy Records, Christiansburg, VA.
2015 Bottle Rockets, Road Candy Records, Christiansburg, VA.
2014 Wally! Come Down Right Now!, Road Candy Records, Christiansburg, VA.
2014 Adverse Conditions, Road Candy Records, Christiansburg, VA.
2013 Not So Silent Night, Road Candy Records, Christiansburg, VA.
2012 Egg Babies, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2011 It’s With Me All the Time A True Account of WWII, Buck-Dog Records, Charleston, WV.
2011 Diablo or How I Met My Wife, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2010 Vampire Santa, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2008 The King of Little Things, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2008 Fire! Fire! Pants on Liar!, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2007 Punching the Lard, Buck-Dog Records, Charleston, WV.
2006 The Great Rope Swing Misadventure, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2006 The Divine Bovine, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2006 The Teacher in the Patriotic Bathing Suit, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2003 Mayhem Dressed as an Eight Point Buck, Quarrier Press, Charleston, WV.
2001 Buck Meets the Monster Stick, August House Publishers, Little Rock, AR.
king of little things hoopla
PEN Steven Kroll Award for Picture Book Writing
Zena Sutherland Award for Children’s Literature
Parents’ Choice Gold Award
National Book Festival- The King of Little Things selected by WV Library Comm. to represent all books by WV authors
2014 Korea Institute of Child Education and Culture Chief Book Selected
Irma Black Award Honoree
Kansas Reading Assoc. Bill Martin, Jr. Picture Book Award Finalist
Delaware Diamonds Nominee
The King of Little Things Reviews
Kirkus Starred Review: “Adults and children who read this delightful and imaginative book together will find lots to talk about.”
School Library Journal: “There are plenty of humorous details… The witty writing enlivens this fable about appreciating the small things in life."
Wall Street Journal: "It turns out that little things are the ultimate fifth columnists. When Normous attacks, the little things rebel: "Bolts bolted. Brakes jolted. Cookies crumbled. Blocks tumbled. . . . And every little thing, everywhere, refused to work." No points for guessing which king prevails in this endearing and satisfying picture book for readers ages 5-10.here."
Publishers Weekly: “It’s hard to miss the point of this fable about the kindly King of Little Things… Small, Lepp clearly feels, is beautiful. Yet the story doesn’t pall. Wenzel delivers Mad magazine–style spreads of medieval feasts, battles, capes, and crowns. Brainy wordplay abounds, and a scavenger hunt is included, too. Lepp affirms living simply without sounding smarmy, and Wenzel offers a king whose underpants fall off. What’s not to like?”