click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: Margot sheds a tear and walks away...
Tim's Goodbye -written & illustrated by Steven Salerno published by Farrar Straus Giroux, 2018.
Margot and her friends are gathering... but why? Vincent brings balloons, Melinda brings her French Horn, Otto wears his best hat. It all seems like a mystery until a visual twist within a key illustration reveals they’ve all gathered to say farewell to a beloved pet that has died.
"This uncomplicated tale of love, loss, friendship, and hope is a great addition for library collections" -School Library Journal
"the balloons add an important buoyancy to the telling, providing a possible entree to matters of the spirit, if readers desire it... A succinct text and an uncluttered design provide space to discover and process a loss” -Kirkus Reviews
"This gentle story might be just the introduction some readers seek" -The New York Times Book Review
“Quiet and sweet, illustrated in a retro style that makes it feel timeless for young people experiencing the loss of a pet” -Booklist Online
click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: the cover of Steven's picture book, Tim's Goodbye.
see Steven’s complete list of published picture books to date
click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: a cropped detail view of the scene where Vincent comes floating in…
click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: preliminary character studies of Buddy the dog.
click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: Melinda brings her French Horn...
click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: detail of image at left
click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: Margot gazes up at the stars for a long time, contemplating the earlier events of the day...
click upper right corner of images to enlarge
above: one of the original b&w crayon drawings used to create the final illustrations that also have digital color added. (depicting the characters: Roger, Vincent, and Otto)