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Close & Away

Illustration of 9 balloons floating in a cloud-filled sky with the moon in the background.

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.  

Illustration of Close and Away's main character and mother visiting a local bakery.

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. 

Illustration of Close and Away's cookout scene with a family gathering in the backyard to celebrate

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

Illustration of Close and Away's main character admiring her brother's image in the clouds and stars

*Text removed to protect the authors work.

Book set for publishing 2022

Sketch of Close and Away's cookout scene with a table filled with cookout food.

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. 

Sketch of Close andAway's main character and mother visiting a local bakery.

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.

Video

The Cookout Scene - Close & Away

The Cookout Scene is one of my favorite spreads from my first ever illustrated book, Close & Away (written by Kezia A. Snipe of Always Remember the Kids). I enjoyed creating a scene that felt familiar to me from my own family cookout experiences. Some of the characters are even loosely designed like some of my family members. 


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