Overview
A Utah-based artist and poet, Sandra Dunbar was introduced to art at an early age, and always wanted to be an artist. She studied art in high school, at Brigham Young University, at Utah State University and at Dixie State University. While she was attending BYU, she spent countless hours sitting on the bookstore floor, reading children’s books. Sandra loves to read and she loves art, so she greatly loves children’s books, which have both. With the printing of this book, her dream of one day creating her own book has literally come true.
The poems in this book often came to Sandra in dreams. When she woke up in the morning she would hurry and write them down before she forgot them. Sometimes, she would think of a line while she was doing research on an animal, and then she would work for days on creating the rest of the poem. Sometimes she wrote the poem first and then painted the illustration to go with it, but sometimes it would go the other way around. She painted the sea turtle painting a long time before she wrote the poem. Most of the poems were influenced by the amazing facts she was learning about a specific sea creature. When you read the poems and then the facts that she has included in this book, you will discover many interesting things about each animal. The illustrations were first painted in watercolor paints, and then Sandra would create details and textures with Prismacolor pencils.
“'Mighty whale in the sea, sing a whale song for me.'”
"Sandra Dunbar has created an enchanting under-the-sea experience in her lovely book, Sea Songs. My kids’ attention was held by the fun facts about the sea animals, and my attention was held by the vibrant ocean scenes. The artist really captures the majesty and intelligence of the amazing creatures highlighted in her book. All audiences will find something to enjoy in Sea Songs."
"My children, ages 4-16, all enjoyed Sea Songs for different reasons. Between the vibrant, detailed paintings, the fun animal facts, and the charming poetry, there is something for everyone in this delightful book. You’ll come away with an increased love for sea life and the beauty of the ocean. The paintings are incredible - filtered light from the surface plays across gorgeous ocean scenes in stunning watercolors. Ms. Dunbar’s book is a treasure and will stay in our collection for a very long time."
Taralyn Johnson, Author, Provo, Utah