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April Showers Bring… TWO NEW PICTURE BOOKS!

Spring 2023 has been a very special one. My oldest graduated from college, my youngest started college, I am (finally) back doing in-person events and school visits and… I have two new picture books out in stores!

No Horses in the House: The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur (Orca Book) is a narrative non-fiction biography. This picture book for readers 6 and up explores the life and works of Rosa Bonheur, a fascinating pant-wearing, animal-loving, rule-and-gender-defying French painter from the 19th-century. Thanks to the gorgeous illustrations by Anna Bron and an end of book historical timeline and information this new release is the perfect read for kids (and their grown-ups) who love animals, art, true stories and strong female characters.

This book is also available in French!

 

My second new release is The Magic Cap (Milky Way Picture Books). It’s a whimsical tale of friendship, perseverance, forest creatures and, of couse, magical gnomes! I have worked in the past with the fantastic team at Milky Way Picture Books as a translator and it is with great joy that I now join their ranks as an author. Readers 3 and up will delight in Charlotte Parent’s jewel-toned illustrations and will take joy in finding the tiny red caps hidden in the forest. The large format of this book also make it ideal for shared reading as well as presenting to groups.

This book is also available in French!

Spring has sprung. Let’s get reading!

Upcoming French Events

My “printemps” is filling up fast! If you are in the Ottawa or Toronto regions please join me at these upcoming events where I will be promoting my French books.

Éditions de l’Isatis booth on Thursday 23rd  at 6pm and Saturday 25th at 10am.
Dimédia booth on Saturday the 25th at 2pm

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Saturday March 4th
Association des auteurs de l’Ontario (AAOF) booth at 10am
Panel discussion about the importance of translation on the Main stage at 1pm
Isatis booth at 2pm.
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Super Happy to be at the Super Conference!

Teachers, librarians, book peeps of Ontario, lend me your ears! If you are at the OLA Super Conference this week don’t miss this chance to come by the Orca Book Publishers’ booth and get your hands on a copy of my upcoming picture book No Horses in the House! BEFORE THEY ARE EVEN IN STORES!

 

A STAR is here!

Look what just arrived!
It’s Star, my new picture book!!!
This is a narrative non-fiction account of how Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and a common starling became friends.
Yes, it’s another biography of an animal. what can I say… I just LOVE true-stories about animals!
A symphony of compliments to the team at Tundra Books and to Matte Stephens Art for coming along on this journey with me.
Star: The Bird Who Inspired Mozart will be in stores on October 11th!

New Release!

 

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!

In Stores Now!

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!

Podcast Now Available!

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!

Three Cheers for Sergeant Billy!

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.

2021 Forest of Reading Prix Mélèze for Sergent Billy

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.

Merci!