Image of the Week: Samuel Lies Awake

This illustration is from Never Say A Mean Word Again, a picture book I designed and illustrated in 2014, written by Jacqueline Jules and published by Wisdom Tales Press.  The story takes place a thousand years ago in medieval Spain, but the theme is contemporary: two boys who start out as enemies end up being friends.  How do they resolve their conflict?  Well, the story begins with a clumsy collision between the youngsters, after which Hamza launches angry insults at the ungainly Samuel, and storms out of the palace banquet.  The aggrieved Samuel, son of none other than the king's own vizier, is paradoxically ordered by his father to take charge of the situation and to "see to it that Hamza never says a mean word to you again."  

As the innocent victim of Hamza's outburst, Samuel is dumbfounded by his father's order, but dares not defy him.  He sets about ruminating over how to force a mean boy to be nice.  We see him here, sleeplessly pondering his dilemma in the wee hours.  He begins by imagining different ways to physically muzzle the boy: tying him up and gagging him, or finding a monkey that will perpetually sit on Hamza's shoulders and clamp his lips shut.  Samuel quickly realizes the futility of these ideas, and imagines instead souring  Hamza's mouth with a lemon, or making him write a pledge with parchment and ink.  As each attempt brings the two lads together,  Samuel quickly discovers Hamza has forgotten his impulsive behavior and is more interested in having a friend.  Soon they're engaged in boyish play, tossing the lemon back and forth as a ball, drawing pictures, having water fights, and catching frogs together.    
It's a simple plot, yet the story drives home how readily peace can be made – and fun can be had – when both parties let go of their resentment and remember the higher goal.  Samuel learns that friendly engagement trumps physical punishment, and words can be more powerful than force.  Adults would do well to learn from these childish models – and indeed, the story is based on a legend in which the real vizier of Spain in 11th century Grenada, Samuel Hanagid, uses just such a strategy.  The author of this picture book adaptation based both young Samuel and his father on their namesake, brilliantly splitting the historical figure into two characters.  Never Say A Mean Word Again won seven awards for its message of non-violent conflict resolution.  

The story hails from a "golden age" in Spain, in which Christians, Jews, and Muslims lived together peacefully.  It was also a time of strict religious observance in a rigidly structured society – which seems to manifest in the tapestries, relief sculptures, and decorative items of the era.  I incorporated many of these  designs into the book as text boxes and other design elements.  These shapes divide and connect the two boys throughout the story, and act as medieval-style speech bubbles.  I love bringing decorative elements from other cultures into the design of a book!

You can order a signed copy of Never Say A Mean Word Again from my webstore; or order it through your local library, or find it on Amazon or the Wisdom Tales website.  

A good week to all!

 

D Yael Bernhard http://dyaelbernhard.com children's books • fine art • illustration posters • cards • calendars