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Local artist creates children’s picture book from video series

September 14, 2023   ·   0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

After producing a series of short dance pieces on video, Andrea Matai, a Beeton teenager, has now transformed her work into a book.

Her multimedia project, Little Girl, Big Imagination, began with a series of videos showcasing her dancing talent. She created the concept of having her younger sister, Gabriela, see her imagination come to life through dance.

Dancing since she was three years old, Andrea has experience in several styles of dance, including jazz, tap, ballet, hip-hop, and contemporary.

“My passion for dance just keeps on growing,” said Andrea, who’s 13. “It’s a beautiful thing for people to do. I love ballet, but I also enjoy doing hip-hop and contemporary dance.

Andrea produced the videos after coming up with the idea, deciding how to translate the concept to video and choosing the music, costumes, and dance to put it all together.

After completing the videos, Andrea decided to try a new format and has published a children’s picture book – the first in a series. She has plans to publish three more.

The Little Girl, Big Imagination series is designed to introduce reading for preschool and early elementary school-age children as a tool for early literacy development.

Through easy-to-read text presented in a repetitive pattern with vibrant real-life imagery by renowned photographer Ricardo Arujo, the book provides an engaging and interactive experience for young readers and their caregivers, helping them build confidence in their reading skills.

A French immersion student, Andrea published the book just before starting high school. She wants to encourage her little sister Gabi, who is also the protagonist, and young children alike to read and explore the world around them through an artistic lens.

The first book is self-published and available through eBook, paperback and hardcopy formats through Amazon, Barns & Noble, and PaperbackLulu.

Al links can be found on Andrea’s website at www.andreamatei.com/author.

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