Rich Okun, first an artist, then a poet, reminds one of a modern day Norman Rockwell. He brings us exquisite artwork and poetry that stirs the imagination, all at the same time. The purpose of his work is simple. He wants to inspire, and his collection of work does just that. This book is made with love and filled with love, inspired by one very small, very loving dog, a dog named Maya. Rich Okun spent most of his career in various corporate positions, and was one of the youngest members of the Art Student's League of New York. Rich finally thinks he has an answer to the question he has asked himself all his life, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" He has found his calling and is now pursuing writing and illustrating children's books, becoming inspired when a new puppy, Maya, came into his life. (He knew right away she could help.) Maya and Rich live with his wife, and 4 cats in an atmosphere of happy creativity, which is exactly what Bellissima Publishing, LLC hopes this book will inspire in kids of all ages who dream of becoming more.

Rich Okun, first an artist, then a poet, reminds one of a modern day Norman Rockwell. He brings us exquisite artwork and poetry that stirs the imagination, all at the same time. The purpose of his work is simple. He wants to inspire, and his collection of work does just that. This book is made with love and filled with love, inspired by one very small, very loving dog, a dog named Maya. Rich Okun spent most of his career in various corporate positions, and was one of the youngest members of the Art Student's League of New York. Rich finally thinks he has an answer to the question he has asked himself all his life, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" He has found his calling and is now pursuing writing and illustrating children's books, becoming inspired when a new puppy, Maya, came into his life. (He knew right away she could help.) Maya and Rich live with his wife, and 4 cats in an atmosphere of happy creativity, which is exactly what Bellissima Publishing, LLC hopes this book will inspire in kids of all ages who dream of becoming more.

The Sun, the Moon, the Stars and Maya is very different kind of book, in a unique format and richly textured with over 90 full color original illustrations and is one of those truly rare books that can be enjoyed equally by a child and a grown-up and most of all both a child and adult together.
This book will surprise and delight you and your family and makes the perfect gift.

Our lives are bombarded with things that can take us away from the special connections we are capable of. Each of us has the ability to demonstrate love, compassion, gratitude, and generosity. We can choose to live our lives by the Golden Rule. We can make time to appreciate the exquisite construction of our planet and experience the joys of nature. We can look toward the star-spangled heavens, appreciate the velvet silence, and draw peace from spirituality. We have the ability to find beauty in simplicity, and we can marvel at the complexity of what, at first glance, appears deceptively simple. Many of us have just forgotten how. In today's busy, electronics-oriented world, dominated by distractions, special effects, and noisy shoot-'em-ups, simple earth-based spiritual and moral issues have been effectively obscured from view and buried in the smoky haze of the fiery explosion of computer-generated images.

The Sun, the Moon, the Stars, and Maya was created to help families discuss important issues with their children. Illustrations of Maya, the Shih Tzu puppy muse, in complementary settings, accompany bits of wisdom relating to spiritual and moral issues. Notable quotations are the inspiration for Maya's simple-language lyrical interpretations meant to evoke awe and wonder in all things and capture the imagination of the child and the child within the parent. Access to downloadable hi-resolution downloads and audio readings online and so much more are also granted with your purchase.