TAYLOR BARRON
How Are You, Verity?
'How Are You, Verity? ' Was a book I knew I would connect on right away. The story follows a neurodivergent child whoʼs love for sea life launches them into bubbling and passionate monologues about everything ocean related. They have a hard time understanding social cues, but their community loves and celebrates their passion and differences. As a neurodivergent artist myself, I had so much fun bringing this story to life and learning more about sea creatures along the way.
On the Bright Side
by Anastasia Difino
'On the Bright Side' is a story about growing up in a complicated world; riddled with economic, political, environmental, and many other issues. Author Anastasia Defino beautifully presents the idea that although the world can be scary and things feel hopeless, we can always make a difference to those around us and create a positive effect overall. Children today are incredibly aware and anxious of the worldʼs problems, so seeing things with a sense of hope and optimism is more important than ever.
Your Life Matters
'Your Life Matters ' teaches black children to stand strong in the face of racial adversity, and is a declaration that they are loved, and their lives matter. Beautifully articulated by Chris Singleton; he wanted to find a way to empower kids after losing his mother in the Charleston Church shooting. It was one of the biggest honors of my career so far to have a chance to work on this book, and to depict so many of the heroes represented; including Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King, Jr., Aretha Franklin, Harriet Tubman, and others.