Happy Book Birthday to Karen Reczuch and I, who are celebrating our new book released today!
The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island is now available in your favourite bookstore. We couldn’t be more pleased!
And we are delighted to share the day with our Groundwood colleagues who also have new books released today. Congratulations to all!
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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!
It was welcome news to hear that our little board book was selected for the TD Summer Reading Club this year. We thank everyone who made this possible.
Cheers for West Coast Wild Baby Animals!
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!
Although it is a few months away from being available in stores, I am happy to announce my new book that will be here soon: The Tufted Puffins of Triangle Island!
It is the first book in a new ecology series “Wild by Nature” that Karen Reczuch and I have been working on. We are very excited about it!
You will meet a pair of beautiful birds, with long golden tufts, as they 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.
The tufted puffins will raise their baby in this wild and remote place, until it is ready to leave the nest and live at sea. If Triangle Island remains undisturbed, and the ocean stays cool, clean and full of fish, these marvellous birds and their babies will continue to thrive and grow.
Are you interested in finding out about how to write or illustrate a children’s book and get it published? Do you live in Vancouver area? If so, you may be interested in an upcoming event at the Vancouver Public Library, Central Branch, on Tuesday, March 11 at 6:30 pm.
WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING KID’S BOOKS: THE INSIDE STORY.
Listen to a panel of professional children’s authors and illustrators and find out how they broke into this exciting and competitive field, and built their careers. Ask them anything!
Find out:
The panelists include: Nikki Bergstresser, Hayley Lowe, Cynthia Mackey, Kirsten Pendreigh, and Pam Withers, and the discussion is moderated by Ellen Schwartz. All are members of CWILL BC, the Children’s Writers and Illustrators of British Columbia.
The event takes place at VPL, Central Branch, on Tuesday, March 11, 2025, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm. It’s a joint event between the library and CWILL BC, and it’s always a wonderful, informative and entertaining night! I highly recommend it!
My dear friend and long-time colleague, Norma Charles, and her daughter, Andrea Charles, have a lovely new picture book: The One and Only Question, illustrated by Ken Daley and published by Groundwood Books.
It tells the story of Zeke’s first day at his new school and how his head is filled with one big question: What will he do when they call him the N-word like they did at his old school?
As little frustrations mount during the day—a boring class, a mustard stain on his favourite shirt— Zeke is prepared for the worst when a classmate approaches him in the schoolyard. But it’s not to bully him—it’s to spread kindness. Told with compassion and sensitivity, this story of a child finding safety and friendship in the classroom will help educators address racism-based bullying.
Ken Daley’s vibrant illustrations bring warmth and humour to the story, while showing hints of what makes this new school a safer space.
The One and Only Question will prompt young readers to ask questions of their own about how to handle bullying — while also encouraging conversations about everyone’s right to a safe learning environment.
The book includes an author’s note explaining the authors’ personal connection to this story, as well as a list of suggestions about what to do about racism-based bullying to help educators, caregivers and victims.
Congratulations, Norma and Andrea! It is a wonderful and important book!
Happy Earth Day!
On this important day, when we recognize the importance of nature and all living things, I’d like to introduce my newest book, West Coast Wild Baby Animals, published by Groundwood Books.
Children have a keen interest in the creatures that live on our beautiful Earth, and that is one of the big reasons I write so many books about wild animals and the habitats in which they live.
In this most recent book, young children will meet the wild baby animals of the Pacific west coast. As a board book, it is a companion to the earlier West Coast Wild ABC.
Children and their grownups will see wolf pups, bear cubs, whale calves and eaglets thriving in the ancient rainforest, rugged beach and majestic ocean of the Pacific west coast. This newest work is a charming introduction to baby animal names and behaviours, with art composed of gorgeous watercolour scenes, and painted by Karen Reczuch.
We hope that this new book will delight toddlers and babies everywhere!
I’m so happy to announce my new book West Coast Wild Rainforest!
It is the fourth and final book in my series about one of the most beautiful places on earth! Thank you to my wonderful co-creator, Karen Reczuch, for her gorgeous art, and to my publisher, Groundwood Books, for being such a delight to work with. Here are a few lovely interior pages for you to peruse.
