Children's Picture Books - Night Wall

Julie and Sarah have escaped from their "cartoon lives" of the city for an empty house in a deep West coast forest. Julie brings her overactive and brooding imagination with her which manifests as monsters in the forest after she employs men to build a wall in the back yard. Sarah, who is much younger, sees Julie's monsters for what they really are.

Inspired by Maurice Sendack, Chris Van Allsburg, and Hayou Miyazake, Night Wall was a blast for me to create. I had so much fun I didn't worry that it took me five years to complete. (I had a day job.) I rewrote the text as a young adult short story to flesh out themes I was only able to touch upon in the picture book. However, very perceptive children have been quite taken with the story. While reading to a grade 4 class, a young girl got up, walked over to me, tapped me on the shoulder to stop me reading and whispered in my ear. She told me what she thought the story was "really about." When she saw the surprised look on my face, and I nodded to confirm what she had discovered, she rejoined the group and sat with a big smile on her face. This sort of thing happened several times and it's quite amazing.

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