Danelle van Eeden

LITTLE WONDERS

Little Wonders, written by Danelle van Eeden, tells the story of Helena, a little girl who wakes up one morning and nothing is ‘right’. Her hair is too straight, her clothes just aren’t comfortable, the floor is too cold, the sun shines too brightly through her window…and so forth. Her mom suggests that she takes Nora (her favourite soft toy) for a walk to the treehouse by the river, where she can spend the morning thinking about all the things that are bothering her. Later, when she returns home for lunch, her mom will sit down with her, and they can think of solutions to all of her ‘problems’.

Her walk turns into an exciting morning, bursting with so many adventures which quickly make her forget all about her state of unhappiness. She loves her life on the farm, and when she returns home, just in time for lunch, she finds that, to top it all off, her mom has prepared her favourite meal. When her mom asks her whether she is ready to discuss and think of solutions as planned, she bursts into laughter as she realises that she has SO much more to be grateful for than she ever acknowledged before. The two of them end up talking about all the blessings (instead of problems) and wonders surrounding them every day on the farm, feeling grateful and in love with their life.

LITTLE WONDERS

Danelle van Eeden

DANELLE VAN EEDEN is a mother, illustrator and entrepreneur. She lives on a family farm near Worcester where she grew up. Here, every day is an inspiration with never-ending opportunities. She matriculated in Worcester and then obtained a B-Tech degree in Food Services Management at the then Cape Technikon Hotel School. Although she has many years’ experience in the food industry, she’s always loved drawing. When her daughter was born five years ago, she started teaching herself different Photoshop techniques, and now she’s writing and illustrating her very first book, in which food is a major theme. www.danellevaneedendesign.myportfolio.com

JURY REPORT Danelle van Eeden’s work demonstrates an ability to capture the essence of a personality and the situation: an only child going about her day and experiencing small little ‘blessings’. This is one of the few examples amongst the entries for this competition where the digital medium was used in a careful and sensitive manner. Danelle uses the medium in a poetic yet pragmatic and economical manner and is not ‘overwhelmed’ by all the digital effects to her disposal, like several of the other illustrators. The colouring and compositions are intimate, varied and sensitive.