Sneak peak: Shimmerling
A magical creature is born from a feather that’s been sowed into the soil. As it grows, it discovers that it has characteristics of both a bird and a tree. The mighty oaks, only tall enough to see the creature’s trunk, believe it’s a tree and that it should stay grounded. The birds above, only able to see the creature’s mass of sparkling feathers, believe it’s a bird and urge it to take flight. The creature struggles between the two worlds until it sees itself as it really is—a new kind of being, a Shimmerling.
‘The Making of Shimmerling’ is a behind the scenes look at how, with funding from Arts@Large, I collaborated with students in two Milwaukee Public Schools—West Side Academy and Bethune Academy to create the illustrations for my newest book the Shimmerling. The main character is a wearable sculpture adorned with over 300 metal engraved feathers created by the children.
