Author Archives: Deborah Hodge

Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library

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Karen Reczuch and I are thrilled and honoured to have one of our books selected for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library.  West Coast Wild BABY ANIMALS is on the 2025-26 list. Hooray!

This wonderful program is a (free!) literacy initiative for young children – aiming to inspire them with a love of reading. The famous and talented singer, Dolly Parton, said she grew up with a father who was the smartest person she knew – yet he could not read. She remembered how it troubled him and so began this wonderful give-away program of books for young children in his honour.

Small children in many places will receive our little book in the mail, and we couldn’t be happier!

West Coast Dreaming

I’m at home in the city, dreaming about the beautiful west coast of Vancouver Island and wishing I were walking on this long, wonderful beach. It is my favourite place in the world to explore.

We had a lovely adventure there in June and I am hoping to get back again before too long. Some folks love to jump on an airplane and visit international destinations, but I am very happy to be in my home province enjoying all the beauty and nature of the Pacific Northwest.

Will I get back to the wild west coast this summer? I sure hope so. Until then, I’ll dream about it and keep enjoying the photo of this gorgeous beach with its endless sea and sky.

West Coast Summer

Summer in our part of the world is a lovely season, and I was fortunate once again to spend a week on the west coast of Vancouver Island.

As always, I walked many beaches and revelled in the wild and beautiful coastline.

These are a couple of photos, taken on the beach where we stay: one in the daytime and another at sunset.

Every summer, when I visit this magnificent place, I get some much-needed inspiration that lasts for a year and encourages me to keep writing.

Gorgeous art

I feel very lucky to have such a talented illustrator partner for my books these days. Karen Reczuch creates extraordinary paintings in all of our works and I couldn’t be happier! As well as that, over the last 12 or more years, we have become  very good friends and gone on multiple adventures to see beautiful nature spots and fascinating creatures, while doing the research for our books.

We are excited about the upcoming release of The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island on Aug. 5. As a preview, here is an image of a couple of the interior pages — so lovely!

The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island

Illustrated by Karen Reczuch; published by Groundwood Books

Meet the remarkable Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island!

A pair of beautiful birds, with long golden tufts, prepare a burrow and lay a single egg on the steep cliffside of Triangle Island – a rare and protected habitat off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island.

In this wild and remote place, the tufted puffins will raise their baby until it is ready to leave the nest and live at sea. If Triangle Island remains undisturbed, and the ocean stays cool and full of fish, these marvellous birds and their babies will continue to thrive and grow.

Wild by Nature series
A series for young readers that explores the unique links between ecologically sensitive species and habitats, and encourages the preservation of the world’s wild places.

Green Earth Book Award, long list

“Informative and thought-provoking.” Kirkus Reviews

“An elegant introduction for any reader with a bent for birds or an interest in ecology.” Booklist

“Deborah Hodge is known for making nature accessible to young minds. With more than thirty-five books to her name, she distills big ecological ideas into clear, poetic nonfiction for children.”  BC BookLook

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Earth Day!

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Happy Earth Day to you and to all the creatures of our beautiful and fragile world!

These lovely tufted puffins are preparing a burrow on the steep cliffside of Triangle Island. The mother will lay a single egg – and soon a new baby puffin will be born!

See more about these remarkable birds when The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island, illustrated by Karen Reczuch and written by me, is released by Groundwood Books in August.

Until then, please enjoy the wonderful sights and sounds of nature on this important day for the earth.

Spring Thoughts and Puffins

Today is a gloriously sunny day on the west coast after a long, wet, chilly winter and early spring. It finally feels like the weather is turning in the most wonderful way. Sunshine, blossoms and the promise of new growth is all around. Hooray!

On that note, I am thinking about my fast-approaching upcoming title called The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island. Karen Reczuch and I have once again collaborated on a book of nature and ecology for the young reading crowd and we are thrilled to see the fruits of our hard work. Karen has created beautiful images!

As I look forward to spotting the book on library and store shelves, I’m thinking about the spectacular tufted puffins that are flying to Triangle Island – right now! – to lay their eggs in deep burrows on the steep cliffsides of this rugged place. I wish I could be there to see them! But Triangle Island is off-limits to the public and restricted to a handful of scientists and researchers who visit the island each summer. I will have to close my eyes and imagine I am there!

This image shows a springtime scene of tufted puffins who have just returned to the island from a winter at sea. Soon they will be busy digging out their burrows, laying their eggs, and raising their chicks. Wish them luck! And a cool ocean with many small fish to eat.

Spring Books with Groundwood

Spring is officially here and Groundwood Books is showing off their new works of the season. I’m thrilled to have my upcoming book The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island as part of this wonderful collection.

Although Tufted Puffins is not being released until August, I am already very excited about its arrival. It is the first title in a new series “Wild by Nature” that Karen Reczuch and I have been working hard on over the last couple of years.

As is our way, the two of us have had adventures in the creation of this book and the ones that will follow. What fun it has been! And so interesting, too!