A student from an Elmsdale, N.S., high school is turning her passion for art and storytelling into a published children’s book, complete with illustrations she drew entirely by hand. Erin Nicholson, a Grade 12 student, recently released Darcy and Dash, a story that follows a young girl who adopts a dog that doesn’t match her expectations. “She goes and adopts a dog, and she has this kind of idealistic vision of what the dog is supposed to be like, and her dog, Dash, couldn’t be further from that vision,” said Nicholson. As the story unfolds, Nicholson says the character learns to embrace those differences. “Throughout the story, she learns how to accept something that’s different from her,” she said. “We kind of get to see the beauty of diversity play out.” Nicholson said the idea for the book was influenced in part by her job at a pet store, where she noticed how pets are often said to resemble their owners. She said using animals helps make the message more accessible for young readers. “It’s an easy way for kids to see the message of diversity without it being in their face,” Nicholson said. The project began in Grade 10 as a personal idea and developed over roughly two years into a finished book. “I knew that I wanted to self-publish from the get-go,” she explained. “I wanted full control over it. I wanted to do all the illustrations. I wanted to have my message clear in there.” Nicholson said art has long been a way for her to express herself, and the book became an opportunity to turn that expression into something with a broader impact. “When I realized I could express messages like diversity that had a powerful meaning to me, I knew I had to create something,” she said. While the book is aimed at children, Nicholson believes its message applies more widely. “This is an important message that we need to remind ourselves of. Just because someone is different than us, we still need respect for them,” she said. Nicholson said she hopes readers take something meaningful away from the book, whether that’s inspiration to pursue their own creative projects or a deeper understanding of its message. “I just want to impact people with the book,” she said. With graduation approaching, Nicholson plans to pursue writing and start her own publishing company one day. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
