A Child-like Wonder
A Child-like Wonder For this project, I have written and illustrated four short stories. These stories are geared toward children and are designed to teach important life lessons as they grow.
Each story is accompanied by connected sculptures, intended to immerse the viewer in the narrative, as if they are experiencing it in real life. Through both the stories and sculptures, I aim to evoke a sense of childlike wonder, the feeling of amazement and curiosity inspired by the world of books and imagery. The stories take the reader through varying worlds of paint and swirls, that are meant
to bring the reader on a journey of acceptance, kindness, learning, and slowing down.
to bring the reader on a journey of acceptance, kindness, learning, and slowing down.
The inspiration for these stories came from the children I nanny. I drew from challenges they face, as well as the imaginative drawings and ideas they shared after learning about my interest in creating children’s books. So, thank you to Finley and Rue for playing an important role in shaping many of these ideas.
Kelsey Maley ‘26
Advisor: Marina Mangubi
All images copyright © 2026 Kelsey Maley. All rights reserved.
