Always Near
Illustrating a children’s book about grief.
About the Illustrator.
Antonio Bevacqui is an Illustrator and Animator in Barnegat, New Jersey. Antonio has an undergraduate degree in Interactive Multimedia with a minor in Marketing from The College of New Jersey. He has had many aspirations of illustrating books and comics in the past. Always Near gave him the chance to achieve some of his ambitions, being the first book that Antonio has fully illustrated. After Antonio’s cousin, Stephanie Spruce, brought this idea to his attention, they both started to pour their passions into it. Antonio completed these drawings for his college thesis project, and shared the importance of creating a relatable experience in children’s literature, especially with crucial topics such as grief. Antonio has graduated college and plans to illustrate more of Stephanie’s ideas in the future.
About the Author.
Stephanie Spruce is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) in Red Bank, New Jersey. Stephanie has a Master of Arts in Applied Behavior Analysis from Georgian Court University. She has an undergraduate degree in Linguistics with a minor in Cognitive Science from Montclair State University. This is Stephanie’s first children’s book, titled Always Near, which is illustrated by her cousin Antonio Bevacqui. This book is for any child dealing with a death or loss. As a young child, Stephanie’s father passed away suddenly, and felt as though there were no books that were relatable to what she was dealing with at the time. Working in the education field, Stephanie felt it was important for children to have a book that they can lean on and be comforted by. In addition to grief, Stephanie has plans on writing other children’s books that focus on other social emotional topics. Stephanie resides in Lincroft, New Jersey with her husband Rob, son Robby, and rescue dog Dexter.
About the Book.
“Always Near” is a story about a young playful girl Marie May who lost her father. Despite our loved ones being in Heaven, this story teaches us that they are always near and close to our hearts. Perfect for: children who are dealing with grief and loss.