A child who uses a wheelchair goes in search of the perfect winter sledding experience

Athena was invited by Toronto publishing company, Owlkids Books, to illustrate a new picture book by Anne Carter. Because the book’s lead character uses a wheelchair, Owlkids reached out to Athena as an artist who could bring her lived experience to the project. She loved the idea of telling such a universal childhood story with a disability twist.

This is Athena’s first children’s book, although she has wanted to get into children’s book illustration for many years. Her past training as an animator lends her many useful skills in this area including storyboarding, character design and digital painting.

The book is set to be published in early 2027.