Jasper's Shadow
is Missing
A bedtime story that takes the dark seriously.
A bedtime story about the courage it takes to find yourself in the dark.
Every night before bed, Jasper — a cautious little bear — plays with his shadow and sings his mom's song, the one she taught him to keep the night from feeling long. But tonight his shadow is gone. He hums. The room goes still. Nothing hums back.
With his companions — White Bunny, Black Cat, Old Owl, and Ducky — Jasper follows a sound he can almost hear: under the bed, down the bathtub drain, through the old couch, and into the Shadow Place, where a cruel king locks shadows in a golden suitcase.
Paralyzed with fear, Jasper hums his mom's song. From inside the suitcase, a voice sings back. His tune. The one only he knew. He sings. The Shadow King and his army of soulless kittens sway, dance, and sleep. Jasper opens the suitcase. Every shadow flies free. Jasper becomes whole again.
Cathy Stever
Cathy is a self-taught watercolor artist whose work is shaped by the light and landscape of the Columbia River Gorge. Her paintings are original works — warm, moody, maximalist, and entirely handmade. In a market saturated with digital illustration, her style is immediately distinctive. This is her second illustrated book.
Skyler Stever
Skyler is a 12-time Emmy Award-winning Executive Creative Director with 25 years leading creative work in broadcast and brand. This is his debut picture book — written for his children, painted by his mother. He is based in Portland, Oregon.
"This book began the way the best things do — at the kitchen table, between a son and his mother."
Series Potential
Five companion characters, five emotional archetypes, five books. Each story explores a different fear using the same world, the same melody, the same found family.
Read-Aloud Hook
When Jasper hums, kids hum back. That participatory moment makes this naturally suited for classroom read-alouds, library storytimes, and audio editions. No comparable title has this built in.
The Art
Cathy's watercolors are original paintings — warm, moody, and technically accomplished. They don't look digital. In a market saturated with flat-vector illustration, that handmade quality is rare and commercially compelling.