This is a lamassu from the Palace of Sargon II in Khorsbad. I viewed it at the Oriental Institute in Chicago. My newest book is a Young Adult story about the relationship among three teenagers at a local high school. Each one has a different  problem. How each one resolves it is the crux of the book. Through an unexpected visit to the Oriental Institute, the three develop a passion to learn more about the history behind this forty thousand pound colossus. I wanted this to be a book about real teenagers and their interactions rather than the more common fantasy story of today.