Shannon's first novel, Tawnymore, is, like Dobry, the story of a young boy's adventures as he grows up; it too is set in a more picturesque past. The legends and tall tales in Dobry resemble the stories in California Fairy Tales and More Talesfrom California. Likewise, the detailed descriptions and poetic cadence of Dobry echo the vivid imagery and musical language of Goose Grass Rhymes. The language in all of Shannon's works reveals their origin in the oral tradition, and her ever-present themes include individuality, cultural diversity, and the interrelationship of nature and humanity.