News

Salmonberry Award

There’s a new children’s choice award in BC — the Salmonberry Award — and I am pleased to report that our book The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands has been nominated this year! The award is an offshoot of the long-running Red Cedar Award that was for students in Grades 4-7 (now for Grades 5-7). The Salmonberry is for younger readers — Grades 3-5 and is a welcome new category. Hooray for the hard-working creative minds who made this happen!

All of the nominated books look wonderful and I am honoured to have our book among them. To see more about the awards, you can check out their website.

Munro’s Books

I recently spent a lovely weekend in Victoria — the sun was shining brightly and it was my aunt’s 88th birthday! Many family gatherings made it so much fun!

A special highlight of my trip was being invited into Munro’s Books — that gorgeous bookstore in downtown Victoria. I was there (as always) to browse their wonderful aisles and see all the amazing books in their collection — and also to sign copies of my own books. I am so grateful to Munro’s that they carry so many of them. It was a real treat to be there!

Burrowing Owls

My newest book, The Burrowing Owls of the Prairie Grasslands, is about to be released. Very exciting! It is the second book in our “Wild by Nature” series — an ecology series for young readers that features environmentally sensitive creatures and habitats, and offers hope for their recovery.

It was a joy to write this book and to visit a Burrowing Owl recovery centre in the BC’s Okanagan Valley. Karen Reczuch and I were able to be up close and personal with the owls, and her beautiful art reflects these wonderful little owls.

Fun fact: These are the only owls in the world to live underground!

New Release

My newest book is out in the world! Hooray! It is the third board book in the West Coast Wild series and is titled Seashore Hide and Seek.

Lots of fun for toddlers and young children to discover the amazing creatures that live along the rugged shoreline of the Pacific west coast!

They are resilient creatures who adapt themselves to the harsh conditions of the changing tides twice every day.

See them revealed as the tide goes out, then watch them hide as the waves wash over them again.

Festive times

The festive season is drawing near and I am looking forward to gathering with friends and family to enjoy some holiday spirit. At this time of year, the days are short and the nights are long and dark. It’s good to find ways to come together and share some light.

The partiers in these illustrations are created by Lisa Cinar, the wonderful illustrator of our book, Bear’s Winter Party, a story about finding friends on a cold winter night.

As the season gets underway, I wish you happy times, warm gatherings and many lovely books to read.

Changing Seasons

I love living in a place where we experience four distinct seasons of the year. Most recently, we have been in the throes of fall (or autumn, as many call it). I live in a neighbourhood full of beautiful old (and giant!) trees. It is wonderful to take an autumn walk every day and see the gorgeous changing colours of the foliage.

With one season moving to the next, it reminds me that, even though I live in a city, nature is still very present in my life. And, if you read my books, you will see that nature is of utmost importance to me.

Happy fall!

Back to School

West Coast WildSeptember is here and the children and teachers are back to school. The memories of summer vacations and wandering the shoreline of our wild beaches are quickly slipping away.

As a former teacher, I always enjoyed the September start. The classroom was full of anticipation, excitement about being reunited with friends and the thrill of a whole new year of learning.

It’s been years since I was a teacher, but I will never forget how wonderful it was to spend time in the company of my students. They always inspired me, and I continue to think of them every time I write a book.

If you are back in the classroom this September, I wish you a happy and productive year — and many good books to read!