Portland, OR -- (SBWIRE) -- 03/23/2015 -- While most authors are happy to hastily throw a story together, print it as cheaply as possible and rarely give a second thought to its aesthetics, Nina Huang is bucking the trend by producing books that are literally art masterpieces.

Her latest release, 'My Apollo' was not only entirely written and hand-illustrated with archival watercolor by the author – but it ships in hardbound format on heavyweight paper, with no digital alteration. Oh yes, and the story is also hugely-inspirational, too!

Synopsis:

My Apollo is a tale of the healing bond between a small boy named Briar and a rescue greyhound dog named Apollo. These two characters come together in the beginning of the story with some difficulties of their own.

Briar comes from a single-father family and has been struggling in school with falling grades and social anxiety. Apollo was bred to run races on a racing track, and by the time he was at a shelter, he has developed a deep distrust of humans and a fearful orientation to life.

The rest of the story follows these two very lovable characters as they grow a deep bond and help each other overcome their challenges.

"Apollo actually exists," explains the author, a Harvard graduate. "We adopted him and, through love and compassion, helped him transition from a shy loner who would jump at the slightest noise to a spunky and unstoppable ray of confidence who takes on the world every day! He also changed us for the better, too. I want to empower children to do the same and, to that end, have woven many simple yet hugely-effective dog training tips into the narrative."

Continuing, "But this is so much more than a piece of art and a story; it allows children to use a safe environment to explore many pertinent social issues such as divorce, depression, social anxiety and the cruelties of dog racing. The constant undercurrent is one of hope and healing, something I hope children will recognize and embrace as a result of joining Apollo and Briar on their adventure. There's healing to be had at both ends of the leash."

Readers agree, leaving a slew of positive reviews. Christine Beisert comments, "What a heartwarming story about a Greyhound and his boy! As a mother of a Greyhound, I am just in love with this book. It illustrates the bond between dogs and humans. The most valuable lesson it teaches is that a rescue dog can also become the *rescuer*, and that a boy needs his dog as much as the dog needs his boy."

Brendan F. adds, "This is a beautiful children's book. From start to finish filled with wisdom as to the often delicate nature of humans and animals alike. My Apollo explains the challenges that people and their pets often experience on their journey through life and offers many lessons about how love, dedication, patience, and understanding can bridge the gap and allow healing and comfort to be had by all."

'My Apollo', published by Nina Huang Art Studio, is available now.

For more information, to purchase or to check out the author's art collections, visit: http://ninahuangart.com/myapollo

About Nina Huang
I was born in Taiwan in 1984, immigrated to British Columbia, Canada in 1996, and moved to the US in 2008 for graduate school at Harvard University. I met my husband, a fellow artist, while I was in graduate school and decided to reside in the US.

I have been painting since I was 14, when I first picked up a brush. Nothing takes my breath away like fresh, buttery paints on a palette. There is nothing theoretical about colors for me. They all live inside me. My body knows colors like it knows temperature, and pain.

My life's work is to live on the edge of my creative expansion, constantly guiding myself into the unknown in order to grow as an artist, and to teach others to do the same. Since 2014, I have been teaching Awaken with Painting, a method focused on spontaneous and expressive painting directly from intuition. An online course is scheduled to release in 2016.