Behind the seams
Malcolm’s Blog | Meet the authors
Behind every great sock, is a human foot. Sometimes those feet belong to people who are curious about where their socks go missing in the laundry. If those people come together and are lucky enough to meet an illustrator that can capture that discovery, an odd sock story is born.
The lives of socks, Malcolm and Petunia became a story that took over Elvira, Rose and Jan’s imaginations for almost two years before this tale became something that the whole world could discover. All three come from different backgrounds but they joined forces to create the world these characters exist in. Sockland took on a life of it’s own and it became easy to imagine the life these ‘lost’ socks would live. From living in shoes, to traveling on skateboards, the two authors and illustrator came to know and love these socks.
The equal rights undertone of the book was a natural progression of the story. Some of our most important lessons are learned early in life so combining fun with a message of tolerance definitely helped direct the narrative.
Living in an age where the general acceptance of love in all different shapes and sizes is prevalent, all contributors to the book felt it was a necessary issue to address, while maintaining the main focus of the book – fun!
We hope everyone that reads An Odd Sock Story will love the characters as much as it’s creators do. And that it will provide a tool to teach children and remind adults, to love one another regardless of our differences.
Malcolm’s Blog
Be sure to come back soon to read about all Malcolm’s adventures as he travels through sockland.
Meet the authors
Elvira Grassia was born in Upstate New York as the eldest of three children. She instinctively cared for her two younger brothers, who she continues to have a close relationship with. In 2005 she moved to NYC and embarked on a career in beauty therapy. She supplemented her time with work in restaurants where she met other artists, always exchanging ideas and inspiration.
By 2014 Elvira felt the pull of her nurturing side and refocused her energy toward early childhood education. She began teaching pre-K and found herself immersed in a world that engaged both her creative instincts as well as her natural affinity for caregiving. Together with Rose Hart, an instant best friend from her time in the restaurant business, Elvira is very proud to present their first co-authored children’s story, An Odd Sock Story.
Rose Hart, a singer-songwriter from London, arrived in the U.S. in 2010. Since then she has been featured on various hip-hop albums and has remained busy releasing music of her own. Rose first collaborated with Elvira Grassia as the make-up artist and stylist on set to shoot the music video for Circles, one of Rose’s more somber tracks. Creatively, Rose and Elvira were a match from the start, and it didn’t take long for them to come up with the idea for their next project: An Odd Sock Story.
Soon, a casual conversation about mismatched socks sparked ideas of magical lands, where discordant pairs could live together in harmony; a place where love could overcome and conquer every obstacle. Originating from a place of acceptance where all forms of love are cherished and celebrated, An Odd Sock Story serves as a fun and informative story to help children learn that families come in many shapes and sizes.
Jan Hart has enjoyed a happy career as a graphic artist and illustrator. In recent years she has begun specializing in cartoons, and is the creator of a regular strip for the Times Education Supplement about a dysfunctional further education college. Jan has also recently completed a series of cartoons for a collection of book covers on Bridge.
Jan loves the topsy-turvy worlds in the realm of make-believe where anything is possible, and she takes pride in the details of her work that help bring these stories to life. Close observers of her art may also detect a deep affection for Doc Martin footwear, especially in scenes from her latest work: An Odd Sock Story.