Spectra

Meet Spectra: a crafty, industrious, four-inch-tall artist with a brilliant approach to her art. The portraits she makes are composed from the seeds she collects from near and far, along with the creek mud that holds it all together. The results? Uncanny! But...something is missing. Simple seeds and monotone mud just don't capture the rich palette of the world around her-including her own skin, which changes hue according to her state of mind. She explores various ways to make her portraits pop, without much success.When busy friends aren't able to lend a hand, she's on her own, and soon finds herself caught in flooding rain that could ruin everything. But the unexpected journey that follows-and the bizarre new, not-quite-helpful creature she meets-just might offer a grand solution after all.Featuring original watercolor artwork by Leslie Allyn, this book is a colorful journey all its own. From the beginning, we see Spectra as a resourceful, independent and empowered girl. But there's always room to learn, and her journey teaches her a little about how to ask for help, how to handle frustration, what kindness can do for everyone, and an even broader truth about putting trust in nature and its mysterious methods. Spectra won't be quite the same by the end of her adventure, and that's precisely the point of having it. Read more