It takes all kinds of people with all sorts of talents to address any cause we might face. Now with my book projects, hundreds of people have the chance to move out of the mode of feeling overwhelmed or put upon, and are able instead to give personally, by a poem or picture, sharing their experience or traditions or memories within a book. This has inspired others, and continues to inspire me. I hope teachers, parents, and children can use these books for their own purposes and inspiration. In Down to Earth , the message goes beyond how nice it is to plant a garden.
Most people share many experiences in common.
But when you refract those through the voices of talented people, you see how many original and singular moments are held in those common events. Of course, the social value of a book like Down to Earth can include the example of community gardens, activities that people can actually do with growing things, and the simple and primary joy of sharing what you have grown, harvested, cooked, or rendered in some way. I hope has a message of contagion in that they too can take on the same charge. Use the book as a survey of contemporary authors and illustrators for a creative springboard, where everybody picks a plant or flower, or imitates a writer to find a unique voice. Use any of the book's entries as imaginative paradigms.