KINSMAN - Thanks in part to Sherri and David Shepard, Elizabeth Logan no longer fears clowns.
At the Kinsman Library on Thursday, the 4-year-old had no problem talking to her new friends, a.k.a. Carlee and Charlie - two ''Advance Clowns'' sent to provide area children with a preview of the upcoming Kelly Miller Circus.
The circus is coming to Kinsman on July 29.
''We don't like using certain words, like scared or scary when it has to do with us,'' Carlee said. ''We like to say 'shy.' Sometimes children are just shy or a little backward around us.''
Not Elizabeth, at least, not anymore. In fact, Elizabeth and her 3-year-old brother, Jeremiah, of Gustavus, spent as much time as they could with the two clowns, watching closely as they displayed their ''clown magic'' in front of almost 50 local children outside the library.
Rachel Varga, 7, of Kinsman, said she liked hearing Charlie ''scream like a baby.'' The performance inspired her to learn as much as she can about doing some magic tricks like the clowns.
''I loved it,'' she said. ''They're so funny and nice. I'm glad I came.''
The Shepards, who are based in Florida, have been performing together since 1995. The couple spends five days a week on the road traveling ahead of the circus, which will take center field at the former Badger school grounds near the library.
David Shepard said everyone is welcome to watch the raising of the Big Top and the unloading and feeding of the animals at 9 a.m. that day.
''It's a lot of fun,'' he said. ''You can see the elephants.''
Kelly Miller is the last circus in ''America to use the elephant to raise the Big Top,'' he said.
The circus also boasts jugglers, tigers, acrobats, trapeze performers - and clowns.
American Legion Post 506 is sponsoring the event and proceeds will benefit veterans, treasurer Joyce Jones said.
''It really is a nice show,'' Jones said. ''It's wonderful to see all of the children here. It's a nice family event for a good cause.''
After winding up their 30-minute preview performance Thursday, Carlee and Charlie made it a point to encourage the children there to visit the library often, and to read.
''When I was young and I decided I wanted to be a clown, I thought that would be the greatest thing,'' Sherri said, picking up a bin of library books as a reference. ''So I started reading. I read books about learning how to be a clown. I read books about learning how to do magic tricks. I learned how to do a lot by reading.''
When they first started clowning, they made their rounds to nursing homes and assisted living facilities as part of Circus Sarasota's Humor Therapy clown group Laughter Unlimited. They volunteered as clown coaches and performed with several circuses.
David Shepard is a former employee of Florida's Department of Children and Families. Sherri Shepard worked in early childhood education for more than 25 years before becoming coordinator for Sarasota Memorial Hospital's Child Care Centers.
