Touching lives

It has been raining hard for a few days, the water bringing down my maple leaves, littering my front yard. I'm trying to drag out the last remains of summer, my windows are wide open so I can smell the damp earth.

Last weekend was sunny and I spent it sailing in Newport :-) Today's weather is more conducive to working.

While I have contracts to illustrate three picture books, today I am working on a story for Highlights High Five Magazine.

...it's hard not to ponder the impact my art has on children.

The total sales of my first four books with Jerry Pallotta is well over one million. Sales of Snakes, Long, Longer, Longest is almost platinum. So even if I low ball it, one million people have copies of my books. Since I'll assume most are children, then I can assume at least one parent has also looked at the book - so my art has touched two million lives. But then, I'll assume most kids have two parents or at least one sibling - that makes three million readers. But some of these books are in schools and public libraries - would that then make four million people I've touched with my art? Possibly far more.

That's pretty powerful.

While my son Ryan traveled through Italy a few months back he saw stacks of Creature dell' oceano in bookstores from Milan to Rome. Since that book was published in numerous languages, I can assume it can be found throughout Europe.

All that is complimentary, but it took an email from a stranger a week ago to shake me to the core.

Since it won't be available for retail sale until May 1, 2009, Jean, my editor of My Sister, Alicia May has sent out the pdf version of the book to a handful of people. One night I received an email from Bev Beckham, a columnist at the Boston Globe. Her compliment gripped me like no other:

"i just saw your art work for alicia may. it is beautiful and perfect and the only depiction i have ever seen that is true and real. and i am blown away.

that's all. i just had to tell you."

I was blown away that Bev tracked me down and took the time to write. She is referring to the fact that Alicia has Down syndrome. Bev's granddaughter, Lucy, also has Down syndrome.

My younger sister, Holly, has Down syndrome - she was the inspiration for the emotions behind my art.

Some pages from Alicia May:

All artwork copyright of Shennen Bersani, text copyright of Nancy Tupper Ling, 2008. Illustrations created using colored pencils on Arches watercolor paper.

This next illustration is a personal joke, it is a self portrait - that's me portraying Mrs. Scotti.

I believe my dedication sums up my feelings best:

I grew up with one younger sister who has Down syndrome. Her name is Holly, and today, I am her legal guardian. When first asked to illustrate this book, my editor, Jean Cochran, had no idea of my background. In shock I listened as she described the book, and in disbelief she listened when I told her that my own personal story matched that of the book's protagonist, Rachel. I agreed to illustrate the book, but with one stipulation: I wanted to meet the actual sisters about whom the book was based. On a warm spring day, I met and fell in love with Alicia May. But it was in young Rachel, whose joys, frustrations and emotions were just like my own when I was her age, that I found a kindred spirit. It is with great love and admiration that I dedicate this book to Rachel Crossley.

My Sister, Alicia May is published by Pleasant St. Press. www.pleasantstpress.com

Comments

[June]

How wonderful to see more of the artwork for this amazing book. And to ponder how many million children have seen your art, and how many million more are yet to see your new work, and be influenced.
It makes all the hard work worthwhile don't you think :o)

[Shennen Bersani]

I love you June! I am working hard to give you a hug in person.

(June Goulding is a fan-tabulous children's book illustrator and wonderful friend who lives on the other side of the Atlantic from me.)