#217 of 1001 · March 5, 2021

Spirituality can be the thorn in an author’s side. How to write with a reverence for the divine while maintaining a human scope and sensibility? For a stellar example, see Blueberry Girl by @neilhimself and Charles Vess. The text (originally a poem written by Gaiman for singer/songwriter Tori Amos’s unborn child) takes the form of an incantation, an arcane hymn invoking a cadre of goddesses and female spirits, adjuring them to grant a bevy of natural gifts and talents to an unborn girl—and, by extension, to girls everywhere. Gaiman’s effortless rolling verse crackles with language and imagery that celebrates both the specificity and universality of womanhood. Vess’s illustrations intertwine celestial figures with humans, animals, and elements of nature, amplifying the sacred beauty within them all. #blueberry #girl #woman #daughter #mother #goddess #book #books #childrensbooks #beautifulbook #beautifulbooks #beautifulbookcovers #picturebook #picturebooks #picturebookillustration #picturebookart #childrensbookillustration #childrensliterature #illustration #kidlit #kidsbooks #bookworm #booklover #booklovers #bibliophile #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookstagrammers #instabook #instabooks