Becoming A Children's Book Illustrator

Illustrating "Sandy Kay Stars In A Play": A Story About Friendship

Teacher Career - By Ms. Mila Vasconcelos

I can say that my experience with the pandemic and the years 2020/2021 gave me mixed feelings: while the entire world was locked down or recovering from it, I was experiencing one of the most creative times of my life. I was studying to obtain my Master’s Degree in Arts Education, where I ignited my passions, enhanced techniques, and improved methods.

I was so lucky to join an Arts Integration School at the end of 2020, and my time at The Capitol Encore Academy was extremely fruitful. I ended up in this position far from being a happy moment: the previous teacher suffered from COVID-19 and did not resist, leaving a lovely school, students, and staff members heartbroken. I gracefully filled her job position, but Mary’s legacy remained something that should be honored in more than one way. My first homage to her was painted on the walls of our main K7 school entrance, with a lovely portrait painted by one of her former students, surrounded by self-portraits of the many others who had the chance to work with her. Painting those walls and remembering her work was not easy, but the many stories that I heard about her dedication to the school, her position, and her students kept me moving on. The finalized piece is something that makes me humbly proud.

After a few months of working with the amazingly professional, art director, theater teacher, and head of the Arts Department Brian A. Kline, our friendship and partnership started to flourish in many different ways: from collaborative classes to after-school artistic programs until some trips to my home country Brazil, Brian became such a special person in my life and felt comfortable enough to share one of his dreams: finish his children’s book named “Sandy Kay Stars in a Play”, featuring a young girl who falls in love with theater and discovers this wonderful world, with a diversity of funny and creative characters teaching her about this art field.

But one thing was truly special about this project: Kline had initiated this endeavor with Mary Ward, before she passed away. That would be another big shoe for me to fit in once again. But knowing the meaning of this project for my friend, I took over the responsibility with an open heart and big plans.

Analyzing Mary’s first drafts was filled with emotion and gratitude: every sketch, every idea that she put on the paper was kept by Kline, waiting for the right moment to be restarted. Again, I felt so happy to access all that material, and treated every single page with the deserved care.

My initial idea was to keep drawing and coloring with watercolor and colored pencils, but I was working with digital art on another personal project and decided to digitalize Mary’s drawings and start from there. I kept the original colors, facial expressions, and main ideas to honor her drafts.

It took me a few months to finalize this project since I wanted to look perfect while honoring Mary’s legacy and Kline’s idea. But in May 2022, “Sandy Kay” was launched at Amazon.com, and amazing experiences came from there!

Below, you can see some of the moments that I had with this co-worker, that still now in 2024 remains as one of my best and creative friends. We were featured at the local news, took a nice photoshoot to promote the book, were interviewed by the newspaper and had lovely book signings in a wonderful bookstore right next to our school. Those moments felt me with joy and satisfaction for being part of such of great project.

Below, you can take a look at our clippings. Hope you enjoy and remember to get your copy of “Sandy Kay Stars In A Play” today at Amazon!

Featured in the local newspaper

Here you can see our interview for the local news, where we were able to share this beautiful story:

'Something really special': Fayetteville art teachers' new book a labor of love, out of loss

Featured on TV

On WRAL, here is our story featured again:

Fayetteville teacher dies from Covid, coworkers publish children's book in her honor

Bookselling:

Bookselling at our favorite coffee shop - Rude Awakening Fayetteville

Book signing:

City Center Gallery And Books

And, of course, if you want to get our book, just click here!

The journey of creating Sandy Kay Stars in a Play was one filled with emotions, challenges, and, ultimately, immense fulfillment. What began as a tribute to a beloved colleague turned into a labor of love that brought joy, creativity, and healing to everyone involved. Looking back, I feel incredibly grateful for the connections made, the stories shared, and the chance to honor Mary Ward's legacy in such a meaningful way.

This project not only strengthened my bond with Brian Kline but also reminded me of the incredible power of collaboration and the enduring impact of art in times of loss and healing. The colorful illustrations and the emotional story, shows that Sandy Kay is more than just a book—it’s a celebration of resilience, creativity, and the profound ways in which art can bring people together.

As I reflect on this experience, my heart fills with pride and gratitude for being part of something so beautiful. To everyone who supported us along the way, from students to staff, friends to family, thank you. And to those reading this, I hope you’ll feel inspired to create, collaborate, and cherish the legacies of those who have touched your life.

Thank you for joining me on this journey, and I hope that “Sandy Kay” finds a special place in your heart and bookshelf, just as it has in mine!

Ms. Mila