our children’s books
In the spring of 2020, my husband Toby and I embarked on a creative journey, bringing to life a children’s book titled Of Land and Sky. Combining his words with my art, the book is a tapestry of 16 poems and illustrations, each a unique vignette ranging from the earnest to the whimsically carefree. Since it’s release the book has resonated deeply, touching hearts with its blend of nostalgic charm and contemporary spirit. It has been an incredible joy to watch as people all across the country have fallen in love with it.
As the years have passed our creative story has continued to grow. Spring 2024 marks the introduction of With Each Breath our second children’s book! Inspired by the art not yet shared in Of Land and Sky, we feel it’s a tribute to new stories awaiting their moment. Maintaining the same format, this collection also pairs 16 poems with 16 illustrations, each one filled with messages meant to inspire, comfort and delight. Our hope is that the magic in our first book will be found within the pages of this one as well.
We invite you to immerse yourself in both worlds, to find both reassurance and joy within Of Land and Sky and With Each Breath. Each book is a treasury of art and poetry waiting to be discovered and cherished.
These books will pull you into a softly whimsical world full of foxes and owls, runaway rabbits and horses bearing gifts. At first it will seem so familiar – it’s the same world you loved and got lost in as a child. Yet ever so slowly the subtle details in the intricate images of artist Michelle McDowell Smith will catch you by surprise, take your breath away, and convince you that it is not quite the same place. It’s somewhere new and it’s fully enchanting.
Please note - These books are not available on Amazon or at Barnes and Noble, Books-a-Million etc.. However, if you are in Roanoke they are available at the lovely store, Present Thyme. Other than that location the only way you can buy them is from this website or from us directly at one of the art shows that we do. Thanks so much!
how these books came to be
by michelle mcdowell smith
Honestly, I didn’t originally consider my art to be for children, but...
I have often used subject matter that is whimsical and reminiscent of a scene from a storybook. My intention has been to elevate the sense of wonder and optimism which we felt as children – and which we lost as adults. I’ve done it to try and show how the innocence of youth is astonishingly powerful and breathtaking even, and how it shouldn’t be dismissed or devalued. And I’ve felt that this is different than creating art that is specifically for children.
Yet there were plenty of times, perhaps a decade ago, when someone would approach me and say, “Your work should be in a children’s book!”. And although I always understood why they were saying it, I also disagreed. Because for me there was a level of seriousness, and at times a fair amount of sadness in my work which I always felt could be out of place in a children’s book. I also didn’t want to put my artwork in a box. I didn’t want it to be seen solely as children’s book illustrations. Since the beginning of this body of work, I’ve loved how the art could exist so effortlessly in varying spaces in someone’s home or office. I worried that putting them in a children’s book would somehow mess that up. And so, I held off on the idea.
But then time happened. Time just kept moving forward, like it always does. And I began to broaden my view of the work. I began to see that each piece could stay true to all of my original intentions, while simultaneously being more simple and carefree. Now, I am no longer afraid of the art being bound to one interpretation. The art is simultaneously for children and for adults. It is happy and innocent - full of hope and promise. It also weeps for the fleeting nature of life. And at the same time it stands as a rejection to the rise of cynicism in a world where we desperately need more love and compassion. It’s all of this at once. (I’m crying as I write this.)
With all that said, there is also my wonderful husband Toby, who first started writing poems for me when we were dating in high school. Thirty years later and he’s still writing them. I can remember being at school in Savannah and receiving homemade postcards from him (made from construction paper) with poems on them. Maybe we’ll share some one day- I saved every one. And more recently he’s writing poems (not for children) for every completed piece that I create. We actually have had so many people fall in love with those poems that we came out with a small chapbook of 20 of them -which you can buy here. ;)
A few years ago he suggested we should put together a children’s book of poetry. As you can imagine from what you just read above, I wasn’t overly enthusiastic. But I knew I should just trust him. So despite my apprehension I asked him to show me what he was thinking. He took one weekend (literally just one weekend) and wrote an entire initial draft. I was mesmerized. I loved the simplicity. I loved the optimism. I was wishing that there had been a book like that when our kids were little. And I could see this working. That was 4 years and many revisions ago. Because, well, it just took some time.
Now, with a finished book, I couldn’t be happier. I love every poem. I envision sitting with my grandchildren one day reading and looking at the art. I hope you do too.
