Kickstarter: Be Strong!

In 2022, my book, DIEGO THE GALÁPAGOS GIANT TORTOISE came out and I was looking around for tortoises. I'd take pictures with each one and post on social media.

I went to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art because about the same time, this book was coming out: FRIDAY COMES ON TUESDAY: An Adventure at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.

So, when I saw this sculpture of a tortoise, I sat down and had a talk with him because he had such a cheerful smile.

And then - I started wondering who created the Tortoise and Hare (the accompanying sculpture). Nancy Schön. Hmm. Interesting. What else had she done? 

Oh! The ducklings. Those ducklings!

Robert McCloskey's book, Make Way for Ducklings was memorialized by the sculpture that appears in Boston Gardens. Those ducks, the mother and her eight ducklings, were sculpted by Nancy Schön. It launched a career in public art that has no equal.

I wondered if I could do a book about the sculptor. But - by now, she must be over 90 years old. Her website looked up to date, though. (The photo is Nancy at 90-years-old!)

I emailed. I expected an answer from Nancy's grandkids. Instead, she answered, saying that she loved that photo of me with her tortoise.

And so it began...

This official picture book biography of Nancy Schön will launch March, 2024. But we wanted a way to put the book into your hands early!

Kickstarter allows us to do just that!

BE STRONG will publish in March 2024, but when you support the project in September, 2023, we'll ship the books in time for Christmas.

You'll be able to:

• choose your format (hardcover, paperback, ebook or audiobook)
• and decide how many copies you want

You'll learn how illustrator Rich Davis was inspired by the sculptural images as he created the art in new ways for this biography.

ADDITIONAL ITEMS WILL INCLUDE:

• photographs of the duckling sculpture signed by Nancy Schön
• signed original art from published works by illustrator Rich Davis
• motivational bracelets
• bookmarks
• posters
• and more!

Sign up now to be notified when the Kickstarter goes live: 

Signed items are limited in number, so you'll want to be one of the first to visit the live Kickstarter.

P.S. Please let your friends know about the book and the Kickstarter project! Send them a link to this page or the Kickstarter page.