KY Composer-Author and Illustrator Publish Bird Adventure Children’s Book

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: lindseykiserart@gmail.com

859-379-5264

UNION, KENTUCKY : Composer Angela Rice (Melodia Music LLC of Lexington, KY) has authored and nature artist Lindsey Kiser (LinZ Art Gallery LLC of Union, KY) has illustrated a children’s book entitled The Royal Red Bird, which is a fable told in both prose and verse that emphasizes the importance of kindness in the world today. One small act of kindness by Henry to save a trapped red bird turns into a beautiful fable where Henry learns that he saved the most important bird in all the world. Henry travels to Birdland on the wings of a condor to be celebrated with a big bird parade and a lifelong bird promise of happiness, fame and fortune. Trouble ensues, and Henry is forced to call upon his bird friends for help. The book is available for purchase on Amazon.

Angela Rice has composed the music and lyrics for a musical by the same title, The Royal Red Bird. Rice shared, “My initial inspiration behind the composition and manuscript of The Royal Red Bird came from her personal experience of having had a cardinal trapped in the blinds in the study of her home in Lexington, Kentucky. After several failed attempts to secure his freedom, the cardinal learned he had to trust my helping hand to escape the room. After having had this experience, I developed the musical and the script for the children’s book around the theme of kindness and trust.”

An excerpt from the book reads:

“Only one small act of kindness,

Then your eyes can see much more:

The colors brighter, the gray day’s lighter,

Beauty you never could see before.

The world’s a better place when kindness is the way.

We’ll have friends to love in our lives.

Only one small act of kindness and your heart is free to fly.”

Dr. Everett McCorvey, Director of Opera Theatre, University of Kentucky, commented, “The Royal Red Bird is not simply a children’s book. The cheerful, vivid colors and expressive text allow children to sing along with the birds and dance along with the Bird of Paradise.”

Author Angela Rice expressed, “Once I learned that Lindsey specialized in wildlife art and had artwork exhibit in a traveling national exhibition as the winner of the first Junior Kentucky Duck Stamp, I knew she would be right for illustrating my first children’s book.”

Lindsey Kiser stated, “I was instantly drawn to Angela’s theme of kindness told in fable using songbirds. Inspiration for the illustrations of The Royal Red Bird came from my own birdfeeders, my introduction to John Ruthven’s work at his studio at the age of 15, and my childhood spent painting images from WILDWINGS® catalogs on dull saw blades.” LinZ shared that the majority of the illustrations were rendered in watercolor on AQUABORD® and a selection of images were illustrated with colorful inks on CLAYBORD® and scratched out with sewing and tattoo needles. For more information on scratchboard, please visit ISSA or Lindsey’s FAQs.

ABOUT ILLUSTRATOR LINDSEY KISER: Lindsey Kiser is an award-winning fine artist, illustrator, and founder of LinZ Art Gallery LLC of Union, Kentucky. Her monochromatic fine art in scratchboard and acrylic feature wildlife, wildflowers, and natural found objects, such as birds’ nests, to promote conservation of native plants for our upland game birds and native pollinator populations. Lindsey Kiser illustrated A-Z for Me! Life Skills for Kids written by Mitzi Adams in 2020. In 2016, Governor Bevin appointed Lindsey to serve on the board of the Kentucky Arts Council. For more information, please visit lindseykiser.com/about/ or contact Lindsey Kiser at 859-379-5264 or lindseykiserart@gmail.com.

ABOUT AUTHOR ANGELA RICE: Angela Rice of Lexington, Kentucky is the composer of Thy Will Be Done, an Easter Oratorio and several other musical works including On This Wondrous Sea, the life and loves of Emily Dickinson. Her work has been performed at the Lincoln Center in New York City. Rice is president of Melodia Music, LLC, a publishing and production company that specializes in large-scale works for voices and instruments, as well as compilation of shorter works in the vocal and choral genres. For more information about Angela Rice, visit composearts.com and angelaricecomposer.com. To purchase The Royal Red Bird visit Amazon.

ABOUT COMPOSE ARTS: ComposeArts is a performing and educational arts non-profit organization dedicated to championing female composers and visual artists in elevating the human spirit through the therapeutic channels of Music and Art. Learn more at composearts.com.