It is truly a distinct and precious honor to get to make books for young people. I’m extremely grateful that for whatever reason I get to do it, even on the worst days. Throughout this past year, like the rest of the world, I felt like I was in the midst of a great big storm. Finding everyday joys and feelings of peace seemed almost impossible. One of the spots I did find solace in the middle of it all though was in my work. At least there was some semblance of normal at my art board. The paint still smelled like paint and the ink still stained my fingers. Also, It just so happened that one of the books I was building during 2020 was Hope At Sea: An Adventure Story. At the time I had no idea the impact this book would have on me. I was writing the story and making the art, but it wasn’t until I looked back on the completed project that I understood just how it had sustained me.
Hope At Sea is a book about a young girl who doesn’t just want to hear stories of her father’s adventures anymore. She wants to be a part of those stories, so she stows away on his merchant ship as it departs for a long ocean voyage. On the surface it’s about the life and times of a 19th century clipper ship and Hope’s desire to see the world, but at its core it’s about a father and daughter’s relationship and the question of “What is a family to do when the storms of life come?”
It is with immense joy that I get to share the cover of my newest book Hope At Sea: An Adventure Story with you all for the first time. It officially releases Oct. 19th from the one and only Anne Schwartz Books. You can preorder it now.