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January 2024

Happy New Year, everyone!
May 2024 be a healthy and creative one!

In January, I will be at the oh-so-amazing OLA Superconference.

This event is the ultimate, province-wide shin dig for all librarians, teacher-librarians and, let’s be frank, authors/publishers and book lovers of all kinds. If you’ve been to the OLA Superconference in the past, you know that it is a must-attend event to get the scoop on all the new and upcoming releases in canadian publishing. And if you haven’t yet attended, what are you waiting for? There’s still time to register!

This year, I will have the pleasure of signing copies of my recent picture book No Horses in the House: The Audacious Life of Artist Rosa Bonheur at the Orca booth (#410). Join me there on Thursday, January 25th at 3pm.

I hope to see you there!

Forest of Reading Finalist!

Good news! My picture book “Pas de chevaux dans la maison: La vie audacieuse de l’artiste Rosa Bonheur” is a finalist for the 2024 Prix Peuplier award! This award is part of the Forest of Reading program, a wonderful initiative by the Ontario Library Association.
Young participants from across Canada will have until the spring to read the books selected in their chosen category (there are 10!) and will then vote for their favourite book. The winning books will be announced in May at Harbourfront in Toronto in what is sure to be a huge kidlit lovefest!
Interested in the Forest of Reading reading programs? There is still time to register your classroom! For more information about the program or to see the finalists in all the categories, go to the OLA website.
Bonne chance à tous les finalistes et bonne lecture!

A Treasure StoryWalk Across Canada!

The TD Summer Reading Club is all about reading and having some bookish fun during the summer month, both inside AND OUTSIDE! That’s right – not only is reading outdoors ok, it’s encouraged! On top of all the great activities and books we have all come to know and love, the TD Summer Reading Club is now offering a bilingual storywalk.

What’s a storywalk, you ask? It’s a story that is printed on weatherproof panels and set up outside for everyone to enjoy!

This is the third year of the Storywalk. Over 200 libraries signed up to get the free panels for their branch this year and, best of all, this year my picture book Treasure/Trésor was selected for the Storywalk!

I have had friends and family send me pictures of the storywalk from all across the country and it is glorious. Some have been set up in the city while others are in fields, forest and even next to waterfalls. From British Columbia all the way to Labrador (hello to my friends in Chruchill Falls!), kids and their grownups are enjoying Treasure outdoors. Talk about living vicariously through my art!

Have you seen Treasure in your neck of the woods?

Gnome Book Launch Party!

Hey! Toronto area peeps! Love books? Love gnomes? Do I have the event for you!

Join author Casey Lyall and me for a joint book launch celebrating our e-gnomishly fun new books!
The event starts at 1 pm on Sunday July 30th at Another Story Bookshop.
There will be readings from our books (the new middle grade novel Gnome is Where Your Heart is for Casey and my new picture book The Magic Cap for me.)
There will also be snacks and other fun surprises!
We hope to see you there!
(Psst… des exemplaires en français de mon album seront également disponibles!)

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!