Afterglow: Chelsea Celaya

Chelsea Celaya returns to celebrate In the Secret Spider Garden, her hand-illustrated children's picture book that was published this spring. We dive into the story behind the 32-page hardcover featuring four magical spiders tending to a whimsical garden, each nurturing a different childhood gift. Chelsea shares why she chose to hand-illustrate with watercolors and acrylic markers, the symbolism behind her spider characters, and how the poetry and visuals worked together. We also discuss Be Kind to Spiders Week, plus why she included real spider facts and research in the book and the self-publishing journey.