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Look what just arrived!
Look what just arrived! It’s my new picture book, Tom-Aime-Tout (Tom-Loves-All)!
Tom-Aime-Tout is the 6th book in a new series called Petite Poésie, published by Éditions Tête Haute. This collection is aimed at readers 4 & up and are fun stories told in poem format. In my book, young Tom decides to write odes (short, rhyming love poems) to things and animals that HE loves but that are unloved by most other kids. Like tofu, dandelions, turtle necks and the dreaded naps!
Tom-Aime-Tout is also my first book with the very talented Alice Lemelin whose clever illustrations add even more humour to the poems.
I look forward to presenting Tom-Aime-Tout in classrooms this Fall and having fun with immersion students exploring funny odes to the unloved!
I am thrilled to announce that Sergeant Billy has won the 2022 Hackmatack Young Readers’ Choice Award in the English non-fiction category! This award from young readers in the Maritimes means a lot to me. Thank you to the Hackmatack team and to all the young readers who took the time to learn about (and vote for!) this brave little goat.
Have you had enough of winter? Are you sick of snow? Yes? Splendid! I have the perfect thing for you…
Here is a sneak peak at my upcoming picture book!
You guessed it – it’s about our favourite summer nemesis – THE MOSQUITO!
Je déteste les moustiques, mais.. is in the Clin d’oeil series published by Éditions de l’Isatis and is illustrated by Catherine Petit – the same illustrator I had the pleasure of working with on my picture book Une bestiole à l’école (what can I say, we LOVE bugs!)
Je déteste les moustiques, mais… will be in stores in April 2022. Just in time for bug season!
I was recently asked by the dynamic team at Metropolis bleu / Blue Metropolis to write an original story and record a podcast of it for their Young Ecologist Club. My mission was to create a short story for young people on the theme of durability.
My text, entitled S.O.S. Litière (S.O.S Cat Litter), is a bit of autofiction. It was inspired by our new acquisition of two kittens. (And, yes, for those who are counting that means we now have FIVE indoor cats in our little Toronto home!) Five cats obviously also means a staggering amount of cat litter. While researching more affordable options I came across some disheartening facts about how awful for the environment and non sustainable some types of cat litter can be. So I decided to write about it (and to opt for a “greener” solution in real life).
I hope you will enjoy S.O.S Litière. You can listen to it here, and read it here.
The very talented Sylvain Rivard and Andrew Katz also wrote original stories for this wonderful initiative. You can find those stories here. Bonne écoute!
I am thrilled to announce that my picture book, Sergeant Billy: The True Story of the Goat Who Went to War, has recently won not one, not two but THREE young readers’ choice awards.
That’s right! Saskatchewan’s young readers voted and, yesterday, the very exciting news came that Sergeant Billy is this year’s winner of the Shining Willow Award.
Being that Sergeant Billy is a goat that came from the town of Broadview in Saskatchewan, I am especially happy that this true story resonated with the readers of this province.
Thank you to all the kids who voted for Billy and to all the teachers, librarians, parents and organizers that make these litterary awards possible.
I am thrilled to announce that Sergent Billy : La vraie histoire du chevreau devenu soldat ( the French edition of Sergeant Billy) has won the Prix Mélèze 2021! The Prix Mélèze is one of the three French prizes awarded by the Forest of Reading program – a “readers’ choice” award run by the Ontario Library Association.
My books have often been long-listed for various Forest of Reading awards. Last year, my picture book Tellement sauvage was even an honour book. That’s pretty cool. But this is the first time that I win!
Who knew that a true story from over 100 years ago would still resonate with today’s young readers? I am truly honoured!
Congratulations to all the finalists as well as all the young readers, their teachers, librarians and all the volounteers that make the Forest of Reading program possible.
I am thrilled to announce that Sergeant Billy : The True Story of the Goat Who Went to War has won the gold medal for the 2021 Rocky Mountain Book Award, Alberta’s young readers’ choice award!Here is my very passionate and excited acceptance speech. Hooray for Canadian stories!
I am thrilled to announce that my picture book, Sergeant Billy: The True Story of the Goat Who Went to War, has been selected as a finalist for the 2021-2022
Social distancing means no more in-person school visits, which breaks my little author heart. I love going to schools to meet students, read them some of my books and chat with them about all things story.
So, while we wait for the pandemic to be over, I am offering virtual author visits!
With the possibilities offered to us through Google Meet/Zoom/Microsoft Teams I can meet with students “live” from my home. As a bonus, you’ll get to see the very place where I write (my very cluttered office) and, if we are lucky, one of my three cats might come say hello!
Presentations are 30-50 minutes (depending on your schedule and the the participants grade level), include a reading of the book of your choice (in French or in English), a live Q&A and are for an unlimited number of classes.
My rate for virtual visits is $250 for a live presentation to 1-9 classes, $350 for 10-19 classes and $450 for 20+ classes/schoolboards.
Interested? Contact me at mireille@mireille.ca . Let’s chat!
If you’d like to watch the award ceremony, click this link!