Wide-Eyed Surprise was presented to Head of School Arch Montgomery following a seated dinner on Thursday, December 10. After the meal, students and faculty members purchased over 100 copies at the School Store’s Open House, and the Asheville School artists signed the books.
In the author’s note, Arbor shares the following: Funny how things come together.
Wide-Eyed Surprise was
conceived the day my daughter was born. In the joy and weariness that followed
a three day labor, I sat watching my new child sleep on her new mother’s chest,
and I composed this little poem as a welcome to the world—a greeting and an
invitation.
The poem lay dormant
for a couple of years, like a cicada waiting for its time in the sun. One
night, while reading Goodnight Moon
to my girl, I realized that my silly poem might make for a good children’s
book. Another year passed. When my second daughter arrived, I figured it was
time to do something with it. Another year passed.
Then one day while
admiring my students’ artwork in the gallery here at Asheville School, it all
came to me in a flash. Wide-Eyed Surprise is equal parts reverence for creation and appreciation of community,
so why not bring together our community’s creators to illustrate the text? And…
and… why not give all the profits right back to Asheville School’s art
department?
I pitched the idea to
the art teacher, and she was enthusiastic—perhaps because she’s my wife and the
mother of my children. So, we tossed the idea to some of our best art students
and one talented teacher, and it all started to come together.
Much love and
appreciation to my wife and daughters who inspired this book, to the talented
artists who illustrated it, to my dear friend Kevin MacDonald who graciously
did all of the page layouts, and to you the final collaborator: You. A member
of our community in some way or another. Thank you!
Read more at http://www.ashevilleschool.org/wide-eyed.
Click here for more photos.
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