Andrea Sisson earned an Education Specialist Degree from UVA in Curriculum and Instruction. As a reading specialist, she coordinated elementary Title 1 programs and also provided direct intervention to young students. Through her combined experience in early childhood education and Anthropology (linguistics), she considers language development critical and often overlooked. Finally, she found her role as a Visual Arts teacher later in her career.
She remains fascinated by the intersection of language, art, and culture. In her own words, "Art is a powerful universal language that supports social-emotional health and resilience which are critical for individuals and communities."
~Following a battle with cancer, the author retired early from teaching and continued her own art work when able. Her children's story is a compilation of many pictures over a long period of time. As a reading specialist, she had often envisioned a resource that would help parents foster language and critical thinking during a shared reading experience.
She was greatly inspired by the western landscape of Montana and it was there that her passion to paint was re-ignited as well as her inspiration for the story.
A Thousand Years-
Montana night sky~ August 2022