Artist Talk: Rooted in Nature

Join us online with award-winning illustrators and authors Juana Martinez-Neal and Micha Archer, whose books are featured in Brandywine’s current exhibition, Rooted: Family and Nature in Contemporary Children’s Book Illustration, for a conversation on the importance of empowering children to help preserve nature. The Brandywine's Mary Cronin, Director of Audience Engagement, and Melissa Reckner, Program Manager, Penguin Court, will moderate the discussion. 

• Juana Martinez-Neal is an award-winning author and illustrator whose Zonia’s Rain Forest (2021) focuses on a young Asháninka girl living in the Amazon rainforest of Peru who on one of her daily adventures encounters an area where many trees have been cut down. She worries about what will happen to her animal friends—the sloths, butterflies and birds—who live in the forest. The book has received high praise for its environmental message and its exuberant illustrations which Martinez-Neal created with woodcut prints and ink and pencil drawn on homemade banana leaf paper that was crafted by indigenous Asháninka women. 
• Micha Archer is an artist, illustrator and educator. She has received many awards for her work, including a Caldecott Honor for Wonder Walkers (2021), which was both written and illustrated by Archer. Her illustrations capture the sense of wonder and curiosity felt by two children as they explore nature, asking questions like “Is the sun the world’s light bulb?” and “Are shells the shore’s necklace?”. 

This program will be held online via Zoom and the link to access the event will be sent to the email address used during the pay-what-you-wish registration. Please double-check your spam/junk folder if you do not receive the confirmation email. If you encounter any difficulties in registering or accessing the Zoom link after registering, please email [email protected]. The event will be recorded and shared if you’re unable to attend live.