BOOK ILLUSTRATION

Below are select illustrations from two books I wrote, illustrated, printed, and bound as gifts to my children.

​

The first book, a 122 page children's fantasy novel titled Castaway Days or Four Children and a Magic Bookcase (2014), contains 20 ink illustrations.

​

The second book, a 132 page large format young adult fantasy novel titled The Orb of Wishing and Other Tales from the Great Forest (2018), contains five paintings and a full colour map.

Castaway Days (2014)

Story Synopsis:

​

Sent to live with their stern Aunty Fianna and eccentric Uncle Gabriel in 1930s rural Ireland, siblings Billy, Abby, and Christopher Kensington discover a bookcase in the forest that has not only every book ever written, but also all the books that ever will and could be written. The siblings quickly learn that the bookcase can offer them any book they imagine no matter how bizarre or secret the subject, but they must contend first with local bully, Darcy Mallon, who has her own plans for the infinite bookcase. All four children soon realize that using the bookcase means learning more than they bargained for about their future selves, and about the truth behind Aunty Fianna’s missing baby finger.

The Orb of Wishing and Other Tales from the Great Forest (2018)

Story Synopsis:

​

Set over a period of a hundred and fifty years in the land of the Good Queen, The Orb of Wishing follows three generations of Caretakers, mortal beings whose task it is to care for the ancient Greenmen of the Great Forest. From the one-winged hybrid, Alzbeta, to the blue goblin, Natara, to the human boy Beil, each Caretaker struggles to reconcile their calling to care for the gentle and wise Greenmen, with their individual desires to lead a life that is their own. The Orb of Wishing and Other Tales from the Great Forest explores the heartbreak that a young person experiences when duties clash with dreams, while highlighting the power of sacrifice and hope in making those dreams come true.