✨ June 27, 2026 · Mary McCluskey signs both books at the American Library Association · Chicago · Mom's Gold Choice Awards
Adapted from the paintings of three generations

A children's series about belonging, courage, and the quiet ways we lead.

Connection is our protection.

↳ Hero sizzle reel coming June 25
A 60-second cinematic loop debuting at the American Library Association · Chicago · June 27, 2026

From the paintings of Dr. Mary McCluskey, her mother, and her daughter Fi Hailyn. Brought to life as a six-episode animated series.
Premiering December 2026.

No spam. Just launch news, episode drops, and the occasional bubble wish.

Meet the leaders

Eight children, two mentors, a Cosmos of named animals.

Each child a different kind of leader. Each animal a virtue. Each scene a small painting come to life — designed at age eleven by Fi Hailyn.

Sasha
Sasha
The Artist · Paris dreamer
Sara
Sara
The Light · brother bond
Sakari
Sakari
The Watcher · nature
Mei
Mei
The Voice · music
Kai
Kai
The Joy · Caribbean
Desi
Desi
The Movement · lake-time
Harsith
Harsith
The Question · curiosity
Hope
Hope
The Heart · stays
Dr. A
Dr. Adler
The Founder
Dr. J
Dr. Janet
The Time-Traveler

See all characters & episodes →

The story behind the art

"The art is the legacy."

The watercolor paintings that illustrate Mary McCluskey's books are family art — a collaboration across three generations of women.

Grandmother · the paintings
Dr. Mary McCluskey · the words & the world
Fi Hailyn · the characters, drawn at age 11

Fi Hailyn drew every child, every mentor, every animal. Her drawings were then incorporated into her grandmother's paintings. Her mother wrote the stories. Every frame of Leaders of the Cosmos is built to honor and translate that lineage into animation.

The series

Six episodes. One Cosmos.

A 30–42 minute animated series. Premiering December 2026 alongside the new edition of The Leader of the Parade from Wings Publishing.

↳ Sunflower field · drums · sunset at the lake
Episode 01
The Leader of the Parade
The children meet Dr. Adler at the foot of a mountain. They walk through the Cosmos and discover — every one of them leads in their own way.
↳ Hot air balloon · bubble ceremony · "All hate evaporate"
Episode 02
Bubbles, Balloons and Birds
Dr. Janet arrives in a time-traveling hot air balloon. The children learn to send their hardest feelings up — and let them go.
↳ Caribbean ocean · goggles · sea plants swaying
Episode 03
Kai's Caribbean Ocean
Kai visits the island his family comes from. With his goggles on, he watches the sea plants sway — and swims his cares away.
↳ Stream · Si the pony · "stay anyway"
Episode 04
Hope Learns to Swim
Hope is afraid of the water. Si the pony stays with her. The other children stay with her. She learns that courage is staying.
↳ Sound waves as color · Paris café echo · Robin's flute
Episode 05
Mei's Sister Sings Across Distance
Mei's sister is far away. With Dr. Janet and Robin the cardinal, she discovers that music carries voices across any distance.
↳ Constellations form the Cosmos · bubble ceremony at scale · fireworks
Episode 06 · Finale
All Hate Evaporate
The children return to the mountain a year later. They send up their bubbles. The animals appear in the stars. They are — every one of them — leaders of the Cosmos.
Endorsed by

A story already finding its audience.

"The war has been incredibly difficult for Ukrainian families who come through our shelters, seeking safety and support. With no end in sight, books like Mary's give children moments of stillness, comfort, and connection."

Ann Lee
Co-Founder & CEO · CORE Response (founded by Sean Penn)

"Bubbles, Balloons and Birds has been a meaningful resource for the refugee families we serve. Mary's work bridges trauma and tenderness in a way few children's books achieve."

Jan Willaert
CORE Response · Ukraine Programs

"Mary's books are a gift to children, parents, and the educators who walk alongside them. The world she has built is generous, honest, and lit from within."

Mariel Hemingway
Foreword author · Bubbles, Balloons and Birds

For Educators

K–5 social-emotional learning. Adlerian psychology made age-appropriate. Trauma-informed. NAEYC-aligned. Authored by a DSW/LCSW with NYU Silver School affiliation.

Lesson plans & licensing →