Tower teen about to become published illustrator

TOWER- Desirae Larson knows that her 13-year-old daughter Eva is a talented young artist. But when she posted some artwork that Eva had done for her online school’s art competition, it started a chain of events that led to Eva being hired to illustrate a new book published by Bell Asteri Publishing.
“Brave, Courageous and Bold” tells the story of a young boy who was diagnosed with cancer when he was only 18 months old. His parents were told this type of cancer was always fatal in young children, but Luke not only survived, but thrived. At that time, he was the very first young patient with this type of cancer who not only went into remission, and now is a healthy 47-year-old.
The book is written by Luke’s mother, Linda Park. Luke’s sister, Dana-Susan Crews started Bell Asteri to publish books that put a spotlight on the childhood and young adult cancer community. All the proceeds from the books they publish are donated for cancer research and awareness campaigns. Their books are written by childhood cancer patients and their families. “Our mission is to improve the lives of children through the art of storytelling,” Crews said.
It just so happened that these two families are connected. Eva’s father, Andrew Larson, served in the Army with Luke, and the two became lifelong friends.
“He comes to visit us all the time,” said Desirae. “We’ve gotten to meet their families. To be able to work with them has been an awesome experience.”
When Linda Park saw Desirae’s Facebook post, she wondered if Eva would agree to illustrate the book, which was about someone Eva knew as “Uncle Luke.”
“I do a lot of art,” said Eva. She has never had any formal art lessons, but loves to draw, paint, and explore other media.
“I lean towards realism,” she said.
Eva’s first try at illustration for the book were more realistic, she said, noting she wasn’t used to drawing in a more cartoony-style.
“They didn’t like the style I used. They wanted stick-type figures.”
Eva understood her job was to create the type of illustration the publisher and author wanted.
“They said I am so good at listening to directions,” she said. “They loved my use of color, and only had a few changes for the final drawings I did.”
Crews said they were impressed with Eva’s work. Eva started working on the illustrations for the 34-page book this winter, and quickly finished the project.
“I actually thought it would take much longer and be more challenging for her since she is only 13,” Crews said. “But this young lady worked so hard and listened to everything I requested and did the art exactly how I envisioned it. All of us were very impressed by her.”
​Eva said doing the illustrations was made even more special because of their family’s connections. And while Eva did not receive an advance for her work, she will receive royalties based on the numbers of books that are sold. Right now, Eva is covering the cost of her art supplies with her babysitting earnings. Her favorite art supplies right now are Sharpies and Prismacolors, high-quality colored pencils, which come in a vast array of colors and shades.
Eva’s parents are doing their best to support her talent. Eva, who has four sisters and two brothers, now has her own art studio space in a room that used to be shared by her two oldest sisters, who are grown and no longer live at home. Eva’s other favorite pastime is reading, something that runs in her family. Her grandmother Fran Larson was the Tower-Soudan School librarian, and her sister Sabrina also has worked as a librarian. Eva is also very attached to their family’s one-year old Great Pyrenees named Remy, which she can often be seen walking with around town.
Right now, the book is available for presale. Once the book is printed, the family plans to do a book signing, or two, in Tower. The book signing will most likely feature lemonade and cookies. Watch for more information in an upcoming paper. Two things of significance for Luke’s battle with cancer. Yellow is the ribbon color for childhood cancers, Desirae said. And shortly after Luke was diagnosed with his cancer, which affects the skull and spinal cord, the doctor asked his mother if Luke was able to talk, because most children with this rare type of cancer are not able to do so. Before she could answer, Luke, who had seen a package of cookies on the doctor’s desk, piped up and asked, “Can I have some cookies?”
Proceeds from this book will be donated to Gold Together at the American Cancer Society and to the Histiocytosis Association. Information about purchasing the book is available at https://www.bellasteri.com/. The book is also available on Amazon, but when purchased from the publisher’s website, the publisher is able to make a larger donation to the ACS. The book is available in hardcover, paperback, and on kindle. The kindle edition is already on the Amazon best seller’s list. The book’s publication date is May 26.