Our beloved author-in-residence, Elisha Cooper, returned to The Children’s School last Thursday to share his newly published book, The Rare Bird. This celebrated author and illustrator met with small groups of children to talk about his love of writing and illustrating children’s books and to offer a glimpse into the creative process behind his newest story.

Elisha shared with the children that the inspiration for The Rare Bird began while watching his cat, Panda, wander through his apartment. He wondered whether Panda imagined himself as something else entirely, another creature living a grander, more adventurous life. Elisha connected this idea to his own teenage years, when learning to drive made him feel as though he were a bird soaring through the sky.

From those reflections, the story of The Rare Bird took shape: a house cat who imagines himself to be a magnificent and adventurous “rare bird.” As Panda explores his home, modeled on Elisha’s apartment, the ordinary surroundings take on wild and wondrous qualities in his imagination. While reading the book aloud, Elisha pointed out how curtains become tree branches, the shower turns into a rushing waterfall, familiar rooms are reimagined as untamed landscapes, and the family dog becomes a rock to rest upon.

Though Panda never truly leaves home, the story invites readers to see the world through the boundless lens of fantasy. At the book’s close, Panda curls up beside his family and dreams about what he might become next, while the illustrated end pages reveal a marvelous parade of animals and possibilities.

Elisha also shared a few details he was especially proud of in The Rare Bird, including his decision never to use the word “cat” in the story and his delight in capturing Panda’s yawning expression perfectly on the very first try. While settling at the easel during his visit, he painted Panda mid-yawn once again and spoke candidly about the surprises that can emerge in the artistic process.

With humor and humility, Elisha described how, when he paints directly onto canvas without first sketching in pencil, unexpected mistakes sometimes become part of the finished work. In one painting, a stray brushstroke transformed a white cat into a black one, but instead of starting over, he embraced the accident and discovered he preferred the all-black cat. It was a wonderful lesson for the children in creativity, flexibility, and the unexpected inspiration that mistakes can bring.

The older students listened raptly as Elisha shared practical advice about drawing faces in proportion and encouraged them to tuck playful, humorous details into their artwork for observant readers to discover. Throughout the visit, he welcomed the children’s questions and curiosity with warmth, wisdom, and delight.

We are grateful for the artistry, insight, and playful spirit Elisha Cooper brings to The Children’s School, as well as the encouragement and inspiration he offers our students. The Rare Bird is a beautiful paean to imagination and wonder, reminding us that even the most familiar places can become extraordinary through curiosity, creativity, and the courage to see the world anew.

As the Rare Bird would say, keep soaring.

Maureen