The Spirit of the Maasai Man
"To the nature of the beast and to all those striving to keep their spirits free"
In 2000 my book The Spirit of the Maasai Man was published by Barefoot Books. Using a simple storyline of a Maasai tribesman conversing with various captive animals, my aim was to show children that confining animals in zoos does harm to all species, not least our own.
I was thrilled to have my book idea accepted by Barefoot but also slightly panic-stricken as I hadn't given much thought to the fact I would have to render the illustrations in colour - way outside my comfort zone as a pencil artist! After many trials, I settled on drawing the illustrations in black biro, following this with a wash of acrylic paint and then working on detail with coloured pencils. Thankfully I was pleased with the final results.
Although the book has sold in modest numbers, I am delighted to say it has won three book awards in the USA. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)
awarded it the Henry Bergh Children's Book Honor of 2000.
The National Science Teachers Assocation named it an Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2001. In the same year it received a Nautilus Award from the publishing body NAPRA. The Nautilus Awards "recognize outstanding titles from the previous year that contribute significantly to conscious living and positive social change".
Sadly the book is now out of print but with a bit of luck you should be able to pick up a used copy. Try Amazon for this.
Return to top
©Laura Berkeley 2007
web design brightsea
