Sweet Potato & Walnut
A whimsical tale about the nature of death,
and death in nature
There is so much to discover about nature. You just need to go out and pay attention! And maybe... maybe you will discover a bit more about yourself.
The spiral of life - first book
Sweet Potato and Walnut are two very curious children that enjoy exploring nature, and learning new things from it. A turn of events forces them to try recovering a lost friend. Venturing into what seems to be a magical wilderness, they have encounters with several wild creatures that teach them something about life and death. Each encounter contains a message that aims to make us question our own views.
From the book: leaving their homes, Sweet Potato and Walnut meet up to go for a field trip. .
THE SPIRAL OF LIFE is my first attempt to tell a story that helps children to grow up being more able to accept death. We should feel sad with our losses, but not depressed, for death is just part of life, to a point of being essential for life to continue.
From the book: on their exploration, the children decide to help someone.
Worldbuilding
The world of SWEET POTATO & WALNUT is a whimsical world, inspired by real aspects of our natural environment, it's ecology and evolution. Insects such as beetles, wasps and caterpillar, wander around, building their nests, catching their prey and fighting against predators. I truly believe that these intricate behaviours and relationships have a lot to teach us about ourselves. They give us a sense of perspective, and makes us realize that life, even for these small inhabitants of the wilderness, is quite similar for all of us.
From the book: facing a difficult decision, the children hesitate to defend a caterpillar.
A book for children of all ages (even those in their 60s, 70s, 80s...)
For we all will face death, and we will also question life. For understanding a bit more about other life forms may easy our worries, and help us be more accepting of the many challenges imposed by our own nature.
From the book: when machines can be so lively.
Made with Blender
The book was entirely illustrated using Blender, a free 3D animation software. I’ve made each scene like a digital diorama. The final piece looks like a photo of the diorama. I describe more of the process on my blog.
Behind the scenes: creating an entire 3D scene for one illustration.