The Lonely Shadow

by Clay Rice

Overview

Award winning author/illustrator Clay Rice has created a beautifully poetic tale about a boy's shadow who has lost his boy and goes in search for him. "I have no you, you have no me, you and me we have no we, but if I find you and you find me, happy we will always be." The Lonely Shadow sings a universal song. Clay Rice brings the shadow to life and allows us to take a journey with him in search of something, someone who connects with him. It's a story of longing, a story of discovery, a story of friendship.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781938301087
Publisher:	Familius
Publication date:	05/01/2013
Edition description:	First Edition
Pages:	64
Product dimensions:	8.30(w) x 10.10(h) x 0.70(d)
Lexile:	AD500L (what's this?)
Age Range:	4 - 8 Years

About the Author

Clay Rice is described by author Pat Conroy as a “great talent who combines soul and passion”. Silhouette artistry and storytelling have been in his family for more than 80 years. His grandfather, Carew Rice, was described by Poet Carl Sandburg as “America’s Greatest Silhouettist” and traveled worldwide, sharing his mesmerizing cutouts with delighted customers. Each profile silhouette takes Clay about 1 minute and he estimates that in his 32 year career, he has cut over 900,000 silhouettes. Clay’s nationwide following has families flocking to have this talented artist create keepsake silhouettes and to have him sign copies of his award-winning children’s book, The Lonely Shadow. His work has been featured in Country Living, the Washington Times, the Atlanta Constitution, Cookie Magazine, and has appeared in the CBS series Army Wives. Clay is the recipient of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and the IPPY Award for Children’s Book of the Year. Clay’s landscape scenes and children’s illustrations are sought after by collectors worldwide and his work is on permanent display at the South Carolina State Museum.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

"Visions of real depth, Clay Rice excels at his craft." —Atlanta Constitution
“A great talent who combines soul and passion." —Pat Conroy
"Children and their parents will appreciate the elegance and novelty of silhouette art which so perfectly compliments this orginal tale. Entertaining and unique, "The Lonely Shadow" is highly recommended for family, school, and community library collections." —The Midwest Book Review

Editorial Reviews

"Children and their parents will appreciate the elegance and novelty of silhouette art which so perfectly compliments this orginal tale. Entertaining and unique, The Lonely Shadow is highly recommended for family, school, and community library collections."
 —The Midwest Book Review

"Visions of real depth, Clay Rice excels at his craft."
—Atlanta Constitution

"A great talent who combines soul and passion."
—Pat Conroy
 

 

From the Publisher

A songwriter/silhouette artist combines his skills to tell a sweet story of companionship. Over the course of a day, the black figure of childlike shadow searches inside and out, looking for a mate. He tries out various possibilities until an owl sends him to where the children are, and he finds a matching boy. Intricate cut, black-paper illustrations carry this slight story. These images go far beyond silhouette portraiture. Some make use of negative space (open or filled in as white) to add objects to scenes, as the artist has done with the heron and rabbit on the cover. Some are full scenes, some include frames, and smaller ones could almost be the animals that were cut out. Paper-cuts and text are sometimes set on a background of varying colors and sometimes directly on the glossy white pages. In the narrative, the shadow repeats a refrain, "I have no you / you have no me, / you and me / we have no we." But beyond the song lyrics, further use of rhyme and alliteration adds to the pleasure of reading the story aloud. Grandpa's polka-dot underwear adds bathroom humor, sure to be appreciated by small listeners, as well. This friendship tale may inspire some craft projects as well as appreciation. (Picture book. 3-7)

Kirkus Reviews