Harper Burklin

For my thesis project, I decided to illustrate and write a children’s book.  I have always dreamt of illustrating and writing my own ever since I was very little.  I intend to make this a learning experience for kids as much as a fun read. The meaning behind the book is how kids can feel left out or like they don’t fit in, but this is just because they haven’t found their tribe yet.  You can always feel alone when you feel like the odd one out.  This book is meant to inspire kids to be themselves, and to not waste their time trying to impress others. “Those who mind don’t matter, and those who matter don’t mind” is a quote that has always stuck with me, and this is sort of the moral of this story. The book is called Shell and is about a colorful snail named Sheldon who gets made fun of for looking different than the other snails.  Sheldon dreams of getting to feel comfortable in his own shell, and one day he gets the opportunity to do so when he stumbles upon a map to the magical land of Snailtopia, where unique snails go to live hand in hand.  Sheldon travels to Snailtopia and falls in love with the diversity and inclusivity, and he decides to stay. He makes a new best friend, Samantha, and he fits in perfectly with the colorful snails. He lives happily ever after.