Guiding Powers

Here's a sketch from Twinkle, Twinkle Small Hoku published by BeachHouse Publishing. Originally, I composed the illustration with the young canoe paddler looking at the sky for guidance. When reviewing the sketches with editor/writer Jane Gillespie, we decided that the book would be more powerful emotionally, if we moved the focus away from the boy's face. In the final, I cropped in closer. The hoku (Hawaiian for star) is reflected in the water, surrounded by honu (turtles). In Hawaii, honu are very special because they embody the spirit of ancestors. As this boy paddles through the ocean, he is guided by both his ancestors and the constellations.