From THE DARK WAS DONE to AN ABUNDANCE OF LIGHT!
In the fall of 2022, my picture book, THE DARK WAS DONE was published. My story brings the Dark to life, as an entity or being with feelings. When the Dark realizes that everyone is afraid and wishes the world were without the Dark at all, the Dark feels unwanted…
“And so…
the Dark decided to go.
All the world over,
continent by continent,
ocean by ocean,
the Dark left and did not return.
The Dark was done.”
What happens in a world with constant light and no shadows or darkness at all? In my story, after enjoying the pervasive light for awhile, people start to miss the gifts of the Dark. Gifts like crickets singing, owls hooting, stars twinkling, flying bats, shadows to hide in, mysteries for poems, and the scent of night-blooming jasmine. It takes the courage of a small boy to overcome his fears of the Dark, to go and look for the Dark and persuade the Dark to return.
I have just finished the illustrations for a my next book, AN ABUNDANCE OF LIGHT, The Story of Matisse in Morocco, to be published by Beach Lane Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Fall 2025. In this book, I continue my exploration of light and dark, but through the eyes and experiences of the artist, Henri Matisse.
Because Henri Matisse was an artist who needed light to paint, he might have been very happy living in the world filled with constant light portrayed in THE DARK WAS DONE. But I am certain he would have missed shadows and night-blooming jasmine. Henri Matisse used bright colors to paint shadows and light in his landscapes, still lives, and figure paintings. And he loved to paint flowers. However, in AN ABUNDANCE OF LIGHT, Henri Matisse does not go in search of the Dark, like the small boy in THE DARK WAS DONE, but instead travels in search of the light.
At this time the entire team at Beach Lane Books, from editor to designer to copy editor are working on my story and illustrations to turn them into a picture book. The cover is not yet ready to be revealed. I cannot wait to share this book with you!