Children’s Picture Book Illustrations

Let me tell you about a children’s picture book I’m preparing for publication titled The Feather Necklace.

Tulio can find his way through the Amazon jungle, use a machete like a master, and observe the finest details. When he's challenged to find the best discovery of the day, his skills are tested, but it turns out that being a true scientist has nothing to do with fancy equipment or the color of one's skin. Instead of just collecting data, Tulio listens, which leads him to a bird fashion show even more glamorous than those in Milan and Paris.

Hi there! My name is Brian Mulcahey. I’m a high school science teacher in Boston. My summer fieldwork inspired this story in the Amazon jungle, where there are hundreds of species of birds that most kids have never heard of. As the proud father of a three-year-old, we read a lot of books together highlighting the same old animals. But there's so much more out there for curious children to discover! We've read many picture books with talking animals and nonfiction animal picture books, but there aren’t many works bridging the two categories. There should be.

There is an expanding market in books centered around diversity and sustainability. This story is told by a Cochama indigenous scientist named Tulio, based on my friend of the same name. I seek to empower readers often underrepresented in literature. The book intentionally has untranslated Spanish and Cochama words.

I’m working with Dart Frog Books. Because I am a first-time author, they are taking a financial risk on me. Therefore, I am responsible for funding the cost of the illustrations (26pgs at $150 per page). With your help, I think this book could reach the hands of many young readers who love learning about wildlife and the BIPOC scientists working to protect them.