Many Shapes of Clay – A Story of Healing

In this modern-day fable about grief, diversity, and family connections, a young girl discovers the joys – and pain – of the creative process.

Eisha lives with her mother, a ceramic artist, who helps her make a special shape out of a piece of clay. The shape reminds Eisha of her father, of the ocean, of a lemon. As Eisha goes through her neighborhood doing errands with her mother, the piece of clay hardens and then shatters into pieces when Eisha taps it. In poignant and powerful words and pictures, Kenesha Sneed shows how Eisha learns to live with the sense of loss and of the joyful power of making something new out of what is left behind. Illustrated with Sneed’s bold colors, graphic lines, and gestural textures, the book celebrates diversity and shares a gentle message that we all have the ability to heal and create.

About the Author

Kensehsa Sneed is a multi-disciplinary artist and founder of Tactile Matter, an LA-based line of playful stoneware ceramics. She has been profiled in the New York Times Magazine, Design*Sponge, Refinery29, and Glamour and has collaborated with Under Armour, Saint Heron, and Poketo. Sneed is a recipient of LA Design Festival’s 2019 EDGE award and was named to Create & Cultivate 100, a list that honors the forward-thinking women who work to inspire the next generation to demand more.