As our planet gets warmer, it has the possibility of getting meaner. When 8 year-old De’Ante Webster of Indianapolis shared his magical tale called “The Flood of Kindness”, I recognized the importance of partnering his genius. His story is about the powerful role that compassion plays in the aftermath of a large weather event – Hurricane Katrina. He wrote it in his third grade class for an historical fiction assignment. I offered to illustrate his story, which gives children the vision of the planet getting kinder as it gets warmer. Because this is a child talking to other children, there is an added weight to the voice of the story. “The Flood of Kindness” has a positive job to do in the face of climate chaos. The story shows that something beautiful can grow out of the heartbreak surrounding natural disasters. It will be helpful as the incidents of floods, hurricanes, tornadoes, fires and drought increase. This story is needed by our time.
I submitted the story to a literary agent who said she did not fall in love with it, so she wasn’t going to pick it up. The illustrations paintings are rough drafts. They are works in progress, some more realistic than others, some with borders, others without. Your feedback would be much appreciated. What do you think works or doesn’t work? Our team (De’Ante, his mom, Ieshiea Webster, and myself) are also looking for an agent, a publisher or other insights about how to get “The Flood of Kindness” to the world. We’ve been working on it for five years and are ready to get input from a wider circle of our friends and colleagues. What I care about is how to get this story to the world, for the sake of the children’s future.
Thank you ahead of time for taking the time to check this out.
Laurie
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