Illustrator Reflects On Drawing Art For Sensing Peace

Rachel Hoffman-Bayles' Goal: Make Text Come Alive

As an illustrator, Rachel Hoffman-Bayles' goal was to make the text of Sensing Peace come alive.

"Suzana's words were very beautifully put on a conceptual level," says Hoffman-Bayles, a full-time mother of four children who also works as a free-lance illustrator and designer.

"I wanted to make those concepts more tangible by creating a set of characters who were experiencing life, and taking in all of these ideas as they went about their regular day-to-day activities."

For her, Sensing Peace "touches on themes that anyone will recognize, and helps us see how the world around us is full of moments and experiences that can give us a feeling of peace—if we will just take the time to recognize, appreciate, and absorb them." Like Yoder, she also believes children area capable of understanding and making peace.

"They can sense when there is tension in the air, no matter how hard we may try to mask it from them," she says. "They also know when they feel safe and comfortable—I think they are always seeking this kind of security. Peace is their native air, it is what they want to have, when all is right with the world." A book like Sensing Peace can help adults teach children "that they can find those feelings around them, and especially teach them how to be calm in troubled time," she adds.

As for the book itself, "in a world where there seems to be little serenity or harmony, it's wonderful to hear a message about slowing down instead of racing . . . reaching out to help instead of reaching out to take."

She hopes Sensing Peace will help children "discover that there is so much in life to appreciate . . . I hope it will inspire someone to be a little kinder, and a little more grateful for the amazing blessings our God has given each one of us."

Click here to read "New Book Asks: Can Children Make Peace?", a press release about Sensing Peace.
Click here to read a full interview with Sensing Peace author Suzana Yoder.
Click here to read a full interview with Sensing Peace illustrator Rachel Hoffman-Bayles.
Click here to buy Sensing Peace. Cost: $13.99 USD/$16.00 CAD.