Gallery: Samuel’s Animals

This story behind this remarkable book begins in a remote region of north eastern Kenya. In 2009, the Packer Collegiate Institute started a partnership program with the Ndonyo Wasin Primary School. During our first trip to Ndonyo Wasin, I taught a “Portrait exchange” lesson to 3rd and 4th graders in Kenya and Packer. While in Kenya I met a very special student named Samuel. He was a small boy, who loved art and fearlessly jumped into the portrait project. He identified himself as the “school artist” and was excited to share his personal artwork with me. He made drawings of practically everything he saw in his life, from everyday tools, to the animals of his environment.

I returned to Ndonyo Wasin in June 2012 to continue the work with our partner school. The first day we arrived on the campus, a young man came running up to me. He stood at least a head taller than me, and he looked very familiar. He said: “Wait, I will be right back”. He ran to his dormitory and quickly returned with a beautifully detailed pencil drawing of a camel. Within moments, I realized that this tall young man was the little boy that I had met three years before. I asked Samuel if he would be willing to share more of his artwork with me. He graciously smiled and shyly answered: “Yes”.

The next morning when we arrived at school, Samuel was eager to meet us. He had already prepared a table in the library with a spread of his incredible animal drawings. They were vibrantly colored and beautifully shaded. After looking over his work, I asked Samuel if he would be interested in making a book with us to feature his drawings of Kenyan animals. He loved the idea. During the next few days Samuel would come and find us to show us his latest installments. While we had made it clear to him that he could mail us his drawings after we left, he was intent on showing us his work while we were still there. I suspect that he didn’t sleep much that week.

I shared with him that his book would be placed in the libraries of both Ndonyo Wasin Primary School and The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn. His face came alive with excitement. It was thrilling to see him recognize his value within his community by being an artist and know that his book would inspire other children across the world.

– Elizabeth Eagle

PDF’s of Samuel’s Animals can be downloaded by following the links below:

Antelope (SA antelope)

Buffalo (SA buffalo)

Camel (SA camel)

Cat (SA cat)

Cheetah (SA cheetah)

Dog (SA dog)

Elephant (SA elephant)

Giraffe (SA giraffe)

Goat (SA goat)

Leopard (SA leopard)