The Lonely Shadow

"The Lonely Shadow" brings together the timeless tradition of silhouette artistry and a story of friendship in a delightful book children and parents will want to experience again and again.

A significant 21st-century folk artist, Clay Rice has taken silhouette art to a new level in his debut children s book The Lonely Shadow. Pioneering beyond black-on-white tradition into an active and colorful world, Rice tells the story of a lonely shadow who is searching for a mate. The fun begins when the shadow discovers a perfect fit: a little boy lonely for a shadow.

A lifelong singer/songwriter and accomplished musician, Rice draws from the rhythms of song to create the simple and lyrical story of friendship in a world where shadows play and imagination reveals what is not apparent at first glance. Throughout his stories and songs, Rice explores timeless themes of imagination, the natural world, friendship and family.

Taught by his grandfather, world-famous silhouette artist Carew Rice, Clay has carried on the family tradition for more than 30 years, traveling extensively throughout the United States from his home in Charleston, S.C., and cutting up to 35,000 silhouettes from live sittings each year. He also works in metal, and his signature pieces are large silhouette scenes sought by collectors worldwide; his works are on permanent display at the South Carolina State Museum.

Author Pat Conroy describes Rice as a pure Low Country product who combines great talent with soul and passion, and I think you ll agree that Clay is a perfect package: His amiable demeanor and friendly southern drawl will endear old and young as he reads aloud, sings the original The Lonely Shadow song while strumming his guitar, or talks about the legacy passed down by his grandfather.