Author Archives: Deborah Hodge

Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers

Mark your calendars! Tuesday, March 23 is the annual panel of authors and illustrators of children’s books giving you an inside look at how to get your work published. This year, of course, the presentation is virtual — but, as always, it will be full of interesting information

If you’ve always wanted to create a book for children or teens, tune in for some great advice. You can follow this link to register or simply go to the Vancouver Public Library events page and check out the sessions for March 23.

Have fun! Get inspired! Get published!

SCBWI Winter Conference


I recently attended an excellent online conference that is normally held in New York every winter. It was hosted by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators — a wonderful organization with chapters around the world. There are two big conferences a year, one in New York in February and the other in Los Angeles in August.

I have attended both in the past (in person) but because of the pandemic, it was a conference by Zoom this year. Surprisingly, it worked very well! And it was impressive in size with over 6000 participants from many parts of North America and beyond.

We heard from editors, agents, publishers, authors and illustrators about current trends in children’s book publishing and it was very inspiring. Much to think about! The great thing about this Zoom conference is that the sessions were recorded and are available for participants to watch (or re-watch) in their own time over the next month.

It was a worthy winter event, and even though it wasn’t in New York (which is always special!), it provided a welcome boost to the mind and spirit.

If you are an aspiring author or illustrator, consider becoming a member of SCBWI — there are local chapters everywhere! You will learn a lot and find a group of like-minded people willing to share their craft, expertise, encouragement and support. And maybe some day, you can attend one of these conferences, too!

Fallow Time

As all of the world knows, it has been a long and difficult year. The virus has changed everything. While we wait for vaccine, we ponder what this year has meant. There has been so much hardship and grief for so many people. My heart goes out to us all.

While the disruption is less for writers (we are used to being solitary and working from home), it has meant that the part of our job that involves speaking to the public, hosting book launches for new releases, and visits to children in schools and libraries have become almost non-existent. Meanwhile, many publishers are not accepting new submissions. So we haven’t exactly ground to a halt, but we have slowed down dramatically.

It would be very easy to dwell on the doom and gloom of the times (and who hasn’t done so over the past year???) but I am trying to see this as a time to be quiet, to contemplate, to consider and to use these days as a fallow time — something that those of us with farm family roots understand. It means letting a field rest for a season, without sowing or planting, so that it can recover and rejuvenate. To this end, I have been reading a lot and working on small projects but at a reduced pace, and believing (hoping desperately!) that we will once again return to a time when we can be more productive.

Spring is just around the corner. To me, it has always been a season of hope. And in the spirit of hope, I wish you good health and happier days to come.

This lovely winter photo of snow-covered apples in a fallow field was taken by Brian Harris and is from our book Up We Grow: A Year in the Life of a Small Local Farm. 

Winter Break

Today, in my part of the world, is the last day of school until the New Year. I’d like to wish all the students and teachers a very happy holiday!

It’s been a tough year and not quite getting easier yet, but there is good news ahead with a vaccine being delivered across the country.

Please stay healthy and safe and enjoy your break in whatever ways you can. Warm wishes for 2021! It’s a good time to be cozy at home, spending your days reading some wonderful books. (May Santa fill your stocking with them!)

Happy Winter Break!

Winter Scene

As the days become shorter and the dark arrives early, I’m often thinking about what an unusual fall we are having. Like so many of us, I wish we could gather with family and friends but, alas, this is not the time to do so. Instead, I am posting this charming winter scene of a happy gathering of children, to give us a little bit of brightness in a challenging time.

This lovely picture is from a Unicef card painted by the Canadian artist, Terry Ananny. I hope you enjoy it!  In the meantime, stay healthy and well.

Ucluelet Aquarium

Now that I’m back from the west coast of Vancouver Island, I keep thinking about all the wonderful marine life (such as these beautiful sea urchins) that exists there. Karen and I were fortunate to see so many ocean creatures, both on the beach and in the Ucluelet Aquarium, which is a marvellous place to visit.

The aquarium was the first “collect and release” facility in the country, where marine animals are collected from the local waters and carefully housed and cared for in the aquarium for a few months, so that the public can see and learn about them. When the aquarium closes for the season, the creatures are returned to the ocean to live their life as before.

If you have never visited the aquarium, I highly recommend it! Another wonderful thing about our day there was finding our book West Coast Wild amongst many lovely nature books in their gift shop. If you check the photo posted here, you will see the book right in the middle of the display.

Also, for your viewing pleasure, here is a photo of a curious hermit crab.

West Coast Wild Research

I have just returned from the spectacular west coast of Vancouver Island, where Karen Reczuch and I were doing photo research for our upcoming book on tidepool creatures of this wild coastline. We had an amazing time and were lucky to find all kinds of hermit crabs, anemones, sea urchins, sand dollars, sea stars and more. Karen took some 600 photos!

I finished the text a few months ago and now Karen will begin her drawings, based on what we observed, both on the beach and in the wonderful Ucluelet Aquarium. (If you have never been there, we highly recommend a visit to this special place.)

In the photos shown here, Karen is in pink, photographing mussels and barnacles, and I am in blue, traversing the sandy beach and rocky shoreline in search of sand dollars, sea stars, crabs and interesting snail shells to show her.

The book won’t be published until Spring 2022, but it’s a lot of fun to watch it come together.


Back to School Wishes

As children and teachers head back to class, I’d like to wish them a happy, healthy start to the new school year. There are many challenges to be faced as students and educators navigate the protocols for the Covid virus, and I will be thinking about everyone and sending my warmest thoughts.

Some students, too, will remain at home doing their schoolwork online. I also wish them and their parents a happy and productive start to the year.

For educators, I have written a Teacher’s Guide to accompany my most recent book, West Coast Wild Babies. The activities listed can be used either in the classroom or in a home learning environment. Many of them can be enjoyed outside.

You can find the guide by clicking on Teacher’s Guide or by visiting Classroom Activities  on this website. There, you can also see educator’s guides for many of my other books, too.

This will be a very different year for all of us, but I know we have the strength and courage to make it through. I will miss visiting classrooms, and look forward to the day when we can see each other again.

Take care, stay well, and all the best for the new school year.

The Wild West Coast

As summer draws to a close, I think about what a challenging time the last few months have been and am hoping that you are finding ways to stay happy and well.

Schools in my area will open soon and I send my best wishes to teachers, students and parents as they navigate the new approaches to learning.

As for me, I am grateful to have had a short holiday on the west coast of Vancouver Island, a place that continues to provide me with so much writing inspiration. Once again, I was able to walk the beaches, breathe in the sea air and view the spectacular scenery of that wild coastline. Here are some of the photos I took while there. Hope you enjoy them!