I LOVE YOU
TO THE EARTH
& BACK
Written & illustrated by Elize Stolk
A LITTLE ALIEN
Set on a far away planet, this magical story follows the life of an adventurous young alien named Sweetpea as they navigate the many challenges of growing up, discovering the art of self-reliance and embracing their newfound independence.
THEIR STRUGGLE
Sweetpea's resilience is put to the test when they are faced with the unexpected, heart-wrenching loss of their home and caretaker 'The Mauring Tree'.
In the face of this devastating tragedy, Sweetpea finds themselves overwhelmed
by grief, forced to adapt quickly to a world they aren't quite ready for.
& A COMFORTING
NEW PERSPECTIVE
In their lowest moment, Sweetpea is visited by a curious glow bug who will light this little alien's path through the newly darkened world.
As this story comes to it's end, a miraculous truth is revealed: The little glow bug carries the spirit of The Mauring Tree. Upon this discovery, Sweetpea finds peace and comfort as they know that they are not truly as alone or lost as they had thought.
"I Love You to the Earth and Back" is about my experience losing my mother at a young age. The healing journey I went on after her death largely involved discovering how to connect with her energy and heart through different facets or moments of my life.
The core story was written unexpectedly one night from the hours of 11pm - 2am, and took me a subsequent 2-3 years to finish polishing it and illustrating the pages. It has now been 10 years since her passing, and I think creating this book was a sort of therapy for me.
The following, is a dedication to her, as it is written inside the book:
"To my mother Maureen, whos light faded all to soon, and yet is so bright that it continues to guide me even now."