Madison's Descent: A Child's Journey
THIS IS A BEDTIME STORY, to be told at the threshold where night meets day. It is a story that you will know is true, one that you may remember, even if it has been long forgotten. It is the story of one little girl and how she made her long journey down the Great River of Stars, on her way to be born.
She lay back and gazed into the night. She drifted and hummed. She saw shooting stars fl y over and dive into the dark, like a school of silver tadpoles. Madison thought of the Moon and of her Night Nursery friends far, far up the River, but she was not lonely. She was at home in her boat.
When at last Madison came down, she found herself at the River’s edge once more and there was My Moon, waiting, and with her was Peregrine Moonsnail, pointed into the current.
"The Moon and a Candle" the night nursery, Madison's Descent. This lovely face has been given countless names over the years, but the babies of the Night Nursery call her simply, My Moon. Hers is one of the first names we know and the last we forget. With soft smiles and sweet singing, she floats close to the cradle boats, making sure that all within are cozy and snug.
She saw that many of the lights were in rows that started big and went on down, down, down, to tiny. All the rows were part of one shape that glowed in the night and right in the middle was a golden eye, watching her. It was the Ancient Octopus, the oldest of all creatures on the River.
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"This is a bedtime story, to be told at the threshold where night meets day. It is a story that you will know is true, one that you may remember, even if it has been long forgotten. It is the story of one little girl and how she made her long journey down the Great River of Stars, on her way to be born."
So begins Madison's Descent, which imagines the birth of a child whom we first meet rocking in a small boat in the Night Nursery under the watchful eye of My Moon. "All alone is how you go," says My Moon, "but you will meet many friends on the River." Indeed, Madison does meet many curious and generous beings as she swims toward the light of day. The Hummingbird King, the Ancient Octopus, the Jaws of Time, and the Questing Trout are just a few of those who give her gifts to use in her life to come.
Madison’s Descent takes its place in the tradition of elaborately illustrated, ageless books. This unique story and rich paintings, together imagine the human being becoming itself. It will enchant both younger and older audiences--children who are able to read on their own as well as teens and adults who remember the classics such as The Velveteen Rabbit, The Wind in the Willows, and The Little Prince.
Written and illustrated by Santa Fe artist, Page Allen. Madison's Descent is a companion book to The Way to Davis, both beautifully illustrated and poetic stories that describe a mythical journey towards life.
Available in hardcover, signed by the author and numbered and softcover, produced to the same extraordinary standard as the hardcover.
Reviews of Madison's Descent: A Child's Journey
Page, I'm thrilled to have the two books you sent--they are spectacular and gorgeous. I could tell from the few small reproductions of your paintings (the ones I've seen) that you have a mythic mind and spirit, and both are given free rein in these elegant, absorbing, transporting, magical books. The prose and the paintings manage to be intensely physical and meditatively mystical at the same time--no small feat. The journeys enacted are strange, tender, funny, mysterious, primitive (consciously), and brimming with folk wisdom. They do what all good myth-making should do: create another world which is coherent and intact itself, and yet which brims with instructive and illuminating links back to the world we know. You are well-served in the production of the books, I would say. I hope they are finding and will find the audience they envision. Thanks for the gift of them. I'm delighted and grateful. -- Robert Hahn, poet
Let’s jump the track here. Boldly going into literary reviewer, Frank West Territory, we have to tell you of a brilliant piece of business which combines a magical book and great music. Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin is one of Ireland’s great composers and musical gifts to the world. He is also the Founding Director of the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance in Limerick. He founded the school in 1994, and it has since blossomed. We should write an entire column about it and will. Fab. Well, he has written a suite of tunes around a wonderful book by a woman named, Page Allen. It is called, Madison’s Descent. This is tough. It is a book for children. Wait. It is a book for all of us. It is a lovely way to explain to a child the answer to the age old toddler’s question, “Where do I come from?” Wait. It is a beautiful book explaining where we all come from and where we are going. It is new agey. Wait. I know. When I first saw it, (and before I read it) two thoughts occurred simultaneously. This art is lovely. (Author, Page Allen did it.) This is New Age crap. Bzzz. Wrong. WRONG. It is wonderful in every way. Were my daughter of the age, I would read this to her every night. It is a magical view of Madison’s travel through the heavens, stars and universe before arriving here. Well, that is my favorite part of the book. It reads beautifully, but it should be read aloud to get the mystery and wonder of it. Assuming you are a parent, or know one of a child of the right age, this is a gem. Google it. Amazon it. Find it. Get it.
The neat part is that Mícheál Ó Súilleabháin agrees and has written lovely music, themed on Madison’s Descent. It HAS been recorded, but is not yet commercially available. It should be. Page sent us a copy of the album. Gorgeous. You ARE going to be able to hear at least a few of the tunes this summer and fall in Ireland at The Carrick on Shannon Festival in July, and the NCH in Dublin on Sep 4. You heard it here first. The album is going to be special. Very. The book IS available now. This book is descended through the stars for your family. It is lovely. You know it is. When was the last time you saw us write about a book? Allen meets Ó Súilleabháin. Magic.
--Bill Margeson, LiveIreland radio
In the collections of
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Amherst, MA
The Huntington Library, Pasadena, CA
National Library of Ireland, Dublin
The Tyrone Guthrie Centre, Ireland
Regis University Library, Denver
Hampshire College Library, Amherst
The Rockwell Museum, Corning, NY
