Close & Away

Written by author and poet Kezia A. Snipe, Close and Away is a book written in poem form navigating a family grieving the loss of a child.  

As the picture book illustrator, I used images to walk the reader through the day’s events through the eyes of our little narrator Neveah. 

Each image in the picture book bonds the reader with the family, while the poem tells a more in-depth story. 

*Text removed to protect the authors work.

Book set for publishing 2022

This is an early sketch of my favorite spread in the book, the cookout. The food is a massive part of the image representing black family traditions. 

Reminiscent of the corner stores I visited as a kid in Baltimore, MD, Neveah and her mom visit the fictional Corner Store Bakery to pick up JJ’s cake.