Mama, Let's Make a Moon

Mama let's make a moon; it won't cost too much. We'll use second-hand stardust And leftover love; We'll stuff it with silly And marshmallow goo And paint it with promise. Mama, Let's make a moon.

Award winning and nationally recognized author/illustrator Clay Rice has created a beautifully poetic tale about a humble mountain family who decide to make a moon. Created with Rice's renowned individual paper cut art, the fun begins when the brother and sister start collecting the “ingredients”. The “Recipe For A Moon” contains everything from “a stream full of silver, a swan’s starry shine, and 2 ‘possum’s paws of dream dust from the imagination mine.” Along the way they teach the reader about love, the importance of relationships, and the joy of making something from nothing.

Clay Rice is described by author Pat Conroy as a “great talent who combines soul and passion”. Silhouette artistry and storytelling have been in his family for more than 80 years. His grandfather, Carew Rice, was described by Poet Carl Sandburg as “America’s Greatest Silhouettist” and traveled worldwide, sharing his mesmerizing cutouts with delighted customers. Each profile silhouette takes Clay about 1 minute and he estimates that in his 32 year career, he has cut over 900,000 silhouettes. Clay’s nationwide following has families flocking to have this talented artist create keepsake silhouettes and to have him sign copies of his award-winning children’s book, The Lonely Shadow. His work has been featured in Country Living, the Washington Times, The Atlanta Constitution, Cookie Magazine, and has appeared in the CBS series Army Wives. Clay is the recipient of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award and the IPPY Award for Children’s Book of the Year. Clay’s landscape scenes and children’s illustrations are sought after by collectors worldwide and his work is on permanent display at the South Carolina State Museum.