A richly imagined picture book about finding your way back to yourself. A young swimmer panics in a crowded community pool, and it feels like there isn't even any room for her tears. Out of place where she was once at home, the girl swims down, down, into the deepest deep ? and embarks on a surrealist journey to the swampy world under the under. As she rests there with her feelings, the girl finds power in embracing who she is ? even the swampiest parts. And her triumphant return to the pool inspires the other children to be their truest selves, too. This dreamlike picture book models creative ways for children ? and adults ? to visualize and understand their big feelings and accept their inner selves. Award-winning illustrator Byron Eggenschwiler is at his imaginative best, delivering art that pairs beautifully with author Dorson Plourde's poetic magical realism. AGES: 4 to 8 AUTHOR: Dorson Plourde is an author and elementary art educator. At home, his studio is full of picture books, good tunes and paints ... but mostly spots for his cat, Theo, to snooze on. Originally from Portland, Maine, he is now based in Boston, Massachusetts. You can find him online at www.dorsonplourdebooks.com. Byron Eggenschwiler is an award-winning illustrator whose books include Polar, The Strangest Thing in the Sea and The Little Ghost Who Was a Quilt. His work has appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal and GQ. Byron lives in Calgary, Alberta, with his wife and two cats. SELLING POINTS: . Models creative ways of visualizing and understanding big feelings. . Award-winning illustrator Byron Eggenschwiler at his imaginative best. . Magical realist art and text encourage young children to explore and celebrate their uniqueness.
