Another school year draws to an end and I am once again in awe of all the wonderful people I had the pleasure to meet thanks to my 2018-19 author visits.

Enthusiastic teachers, passionate librarians, inspiring students… Thank you all for your gracious invitations and for helping me spread my love of reading, writing and stories!

This year I had the pleasure of meeting close to 6000 students in 53 schools across 4 provinces!
Here’s a special shout out (with some fun “in action” pictures) to all the schools I had the pleasure of visiting this year: Continue reading →

Great news! Some advanced reading copies of my forthcoming picture book Treasure have made their way into the hands of a few select reviewers. And they LOVE it!

Here’s a first STARRED review of Treasure from Kirkus:

From tiny discoveries to one big treasure, the natural world delights at every turn.

In simple yet engaging dialogue, two children set out on a treasure hunt, through a meadow and a wood, in search of something “shiny and mysterious and precious…and always hidden.” The younger one finds a feather (“not shiny enough”), an acorn (“not mysterious enough”), and a milkweed pod (“not precious enough”); all while they play in the grass and trees around them. Ready to give up, the younger child is sure they’ll never find the too-well-hidden treasure, but the tenacious older one takes a few steps more. At last, they discover something truly shiny, mysterious, precious, and hidden, which won’t fit in pockets but instead will live on in the memories of these young explorers. Softly muted, colorful illustrations feature treasures big and small to discover on each detailed spread. Perspective changes throughout, with close-ups, faraway landscape spreads, and a lovely look down at one child’s feet immersed in water as the two children hold hands. The children are depicted nearly constantly in motion, with the older child’s long, black hair often flowing sideways in the wind. (Both have pale skin and straight, black hair.) The companion French title offers a superb translation (also by Messier), with its own lively phrases—perfect for building language skills in young readers.

A gentle exploration, using a child’s words and told at a child’s pace, of a marvelous world.

Thank you Kirkus!

Want the scoop on my kidlit writing career so far?
Want to know what I’m really excited about?
Want a sneak peek at my upcoming projects?
If so, click here and read a wonderful interview I gave to children’s author and kidlit-lover, Casey Lyall, for her blog KICK-BUTT KIDLIT, Spotlight on Canadian Authors!
If you act fast, you could also win one of 25 fantastic bundles of children’s books by the featured artists on the blog. Check it out!

Pregnant couples have gender reveal parties, or show the world the ultrasound picture of their baby. But what do you do when you are expecting a “book baby”? You have a COVER REVEAL party! So, here goes…

Here is the cover of my beautiful, upcoming picture book, TREASURE.

The story is illustrated by the very talented Irene Luxbacher and is published by Orca Book Publishers. The book will be in stores in September 2019 BUT, if you are keen on getting your hands on this book, you can pre-order your copy here.

Also, to my absolute delight, the book will be coming out in both English AND French simultaneously.  The French version, TRÉSOR, is also published by Orca and written by moi 🙂

When Esmé and her little brother Milo go on a treasure hunt, they aren’t sure exactly what kind of treasure they are looking for. What they do know is that treasures are shiny, mysterious and precious. And that all the really good treasures are hidden!

As they explore the forest, Milo finds objects he thinks could be treasures: a feather, an acorn, a milkweed pod. But Esmé is not easily impressed. As they travel, he starts to doubt his sister, but their curiosity pays off when they find the biggest, shiniest, most mysterious and precious treasure hidden just over a hill.

Told exclusively in dialogue, TREASURE encourages readers to look for the small, everyday treasures that surround us. This beautifully illustrated picture book exudes a sense of wonder at the natural world and emphasizes the magical qualities of looking through a child’s eye.

I hope you’ll treasure this story as much as I do <3