Award-winning illustrator S.D. Nelson will share insights into his latest work, "Wings of an Eagle: The Gold Medal Dreams of Billy Mills," written by Donna Janell Bowman and published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers. He will discuss his artistic process and reflect on his childhood connections to the Dakotas and the Standing Rock Reservation.

Selected as the South Dakota Humanities Council’s Children’s One Book of the Year, "Wings of an Eagle" tells the inspiring true story of Billy Mills, a Native American gold medalist whose resilience and determination led him to Olympic victory. Born an orphan on the Oglala Lakota Pine Ridge Reservation, Mills struggled with hardship and self-doubt. Before his father passed, he left Billy with a powerful message:

"You have broken wings, son. You have to dig deeper—beneath the anger, the hurt, the self-pity. The pursuit of a dream will heal you."

Nelson’s vivid illustrations bring this moving story to life, capturing the spirit and perseverance of a champion. In addition to this work, he is the author and illustrator of "Greet the Dawn: The Lakota Way" and the illustrator of "Dance in a Buffalo Skull," both published by the South Dakota Historical Society Press.