How the Land of Sorrow became the Land of Joy
When a malevolent spell transforms the Land of Joy into the Land of Sorrow a boy named Smile and his horse Moonbow set off on a quest to restore happiness and harmony. As our hero travels through the Shadow Forest (with only magic seeds to protect him) the Wicked Witch Brokenness sets him three terrifying tasks. Will Smile find a way to face his fears, triumph over adversity and bring joy back to his homeland?
CONVERSATION STARTERS
SOCIAL EMOTIONAL: courage, overcoming emotional challenges by facing them and working through them (“The only way out is through”)
SPIRITUAL: introduction to the Jungian psychology concept of “shadow”
CULTURAL: “Yugas”, the Hindu cosmology epochs or eras
The beautiful illustrations of How the Land of Sorrow became the Land of Joy were lovingly created by Emmanuel O Nyakwada “Point Blank” (Kenya).
“The call you get on the first week of a new year, may be predestined. Swaady was the first person to commission watercolor work from me when I was still very shy about my abilities. The call, 15 years after, (with growth greatly earned through sleepless nights) felt right to be part of her book in my new art journey: Digital painting. Every last one of these pages was a labor of love. Trying out works I have never done before. I value ‘learning in the Field’. Know that, I am elated to be an illustrator of “the land of Joy”. ”
About illustrating How the Land of Sorrow became the Land of Joy
I was drawn to the character smile. In some ways, he had the courage to leave his village and try to find solutions for his home. I’ve always had this stigma of not having left the continent to further my studies and career. Smile became my true north because he did all he could and rose up to the challenge of adventure. My work has been my ‘global presence’ and this brave child, who smiles at challenges. Virtually ‘a son I would love to have, when the time comes’.
Age: 6 to 12 * Print ISBN: 978-0-62-078421-4 * Ebook ISBN: 978-2-49-157306-5 * Size: 8.5" x 8.5" (216mm x 216mm) * Binding: Paperback Perfect Bound * Page Count: 92
