Kathleen Davis Wins a Christopher Award for “Feathers from Above”

Franklin, Tenn.-based author Kathleen Davis and illustrator Martyna Nejman, Warsaw, Poland, have been honored with Christopher Awards for their book, Feathers From Above, (pre-school and up, Kathleen Davis Books). It is one of 12 books for adults and young people as the Christopher Awards program marks its 74th year.

Davis’s three children inspired “Feathers from Above,” a rhyming children’s book. When they found feathers, they told her that their Guardian Angel must have paid them a visit. In the book she describes how feathers fall from their Guardian Angel’s wings and encourages children to be brave, know that they are loved, and remember that God is with them through good and bad circumstances.

A retired teacher, Davis spent her 10-year career researching good children’s books to read to her students. She writes on her website that she believes that books provide a fountain of information but are also a way to enter a new world and completely change a child’s perspective. “Brave,” her first book, was based on her children’s fears at night. They were not sleeping well and were constantly waking her up. She could not find a book that was age appropriate and did not create more fears in children. Davis has an MA in Elementary Education from the University of Florida.

Martyana Nejman creates illustrations filled with magic and colors focusing on kidlit art. For adults she creates fantasy-inspired art that includes posters, book covers, concept artwork and art for media campaigns. She lends a traditional media touch to her digital artwork. Her technique is based on pencil sketching but she paints digitally in Photoshop using pastels and brushes to achieve soft backgrounds.

Christopher Awards were also given to creators of 10 TV/Cable shows and feature films.

The Awards celebrate authors, and illustrators as well as writers, producers, and directors whose work “affirms the highest values of the human spirit” and reflects the Christopher motto, “It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness.” Christopher Awards were also given to the creators of 10 TV/Cable shows and feature films.

Tony Rossi, The Christophers’ Director of Communications, said, “The stories we’re honoring acknowledge that the struggles we endure in life coexist with beauty and hope when we work together, despite our differences, to add love and healing to our world.”

The Christophers, a nonprofit founded in 1945 by Maryknoll Father James Keller, is rooted in the Judeo-Christian tradition of service to God and humanity. The ancient Chinese proverb—“It’s better to light one candle than to curse the darkness”— guides its publishing, radio, and awards programs. More information about The Christophers is available at www.christophers.org.