Remarkable New Children's Picture Book Poised to Ride the 'Woman Power' Tidal Wave

SAN DIEGO, Jan. 23, 2018 /PRNewswire/ Costumed frogs in an enchanting world, all delicately crafted from colored modeling clay, populate the illustrations in Lily Pond - the acclaimed new children's picture book created by veteran movie sculptor Shelley Daniels Lekven. The story follows the vivid imagination of a little frog named Lily Pond, as she lies in bed one night daydreaming about her future with all its possibilities and promise of adventure. Lily considers travels to distant lands, saving lives, fame, acclaim and several possible careers, all from the safety of her cozy bedroom.

Lily Pond's book cover is a tactile and visual experience, enhanced with generous embossing and glossy bits that beg to be touched. Inside, the reader is immersed in a warm and whimsical world of harmony and hope, where anticipating all the wonders and possibilities in life are the birthright of every child.

Shelley Daniels Lekven started sculpting at the age of six, when she and her siblings began building a town made of modeling clay on the dining room table. Her parents, surprisingly, let it stay, and "Claytown" grew to become the centerpiece of their childhoods. After college, Lekven decided to create a children's picture book from a poem she had written, called Lily Pond. Drawing upon the sculpting experience gained in Claytown, she began creating elaborate clay scenes to use as the book's illustrations. Lekven's career as a freelance 3D artist in San Diego, New York and Los Angeles eventually led to her work as a character sculptor on The Nightmare Before Christmas and Toy Story, and as the sculpting supervisor on James & the Giant Peach.

Creating Lily Pond's clay illustrations took much longer than the "couple of years" Lekven initially estimated. "From start to finish, with a lot of living in between, Lily Pond took thirty-eight years to birth, but I never considered quitting. It's been a labor of love and now I have the joy of introducing Lily to the world."

Lily Pond (Claytown Press, $17.99, 32 pages, 8.5 x 11, hardback, ISBN: 978-0-9988666-0-4) and the Lily Pond eBook version (Kindle, $7.99) are now available for purchase on Amazon.com. For more information and a full media kit, visit www.claytownpress.com.

Book Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61a69j3SAxI

CONTACT: Shelley Daniels Lekven, 619-889-3338, 188602@email4pr.com