A Teaspoon of Light

A story about making and saving loving memories. Marley's dream cloth reminds her of the people she loves, and of safe and happy times. When times get tough and the cloth rips in two, those memories begin to slide away. Marley must make new loving memories before she can bring back the old ones and begin to imagine the future anew.

Professor Peter O'Connor is Director of the Centre for Arts and Social Transformation at Auckland University, New Zealand. His work focuses on how the arts can help create more socially just and equitable worlds. An internationally recognised expert, Professor O'Connor has made theatre in prisons, psychiatric hospitals, earthquake zones and with the homeless. He is the author of several academic books but admits that writing a picture book is the hardest piece of writing he's ever done.

A Teaspoon of Light was inspired by his work with children after major earthquakes in Christchurch and Mexico City. Nisaluk Chantanakom is a Thai-born Australian artist and illustrator. Nis has a Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts (Painting) from Boston University and a Master's degree in Fine Arts from University of Pennsylvania. She has been a landscape painter as well as a web and graphic designer. Nis has now turned her skills to picture-book illustration, and A Teaspoon of Light is her first book.