Delaware author and artist W.J. Walton releases children's book

Delaware-area writer, artist, musician and performer W.J. Walton has announced the release of his first children's book, "Polly," about a curious horseshoe crab on a journey of discovery.

“Polly is a story about self-discovery, the love of learning and exploration, and the quest for knowledge and wisdom,” Walton said. "My goal was to create a story that encourages readers to embrace learning, discovery and the pursuit of knowledge."

Walton said the subject of his book was a major inspiration to the story. "Horseshoe crabs are a very common sight to most of us who live on the eastern shore," he said, "but they are still widely misunderstood by most people. My idea was to reverse these roles, and portray a curious horseshoe crab who hears terrible things about humans and tries to learn as much as she can about them, rather than relying on the misconceptions of others." Walton wrote and illustrated the book, which was funded as a Kickstarter project in summer 2012.

Walton is very active in the artistic community of central Delaware, where he has designed and painted sets for five different theater groups, performed music for theater productions, special events, and with Milford's Downtown Dixieland Band, performed as a storyteller for downtown Milford's annual Halloween Spooktacular. He has also acted in several productions with Second Street Players in Milford, including a dozen children's theater shows.

"Polly" is available online and in several Delaware-area locations. For more information, visit www.awkwardlabs.com/polly.

Walton can be emailed at drawkward@awkwardlabs.com or call 302-430-6077.