Katherine Battersby is the author and illustrator of several books for young readers, including her hilarious Cranky Chicken chapter book series, which chronicles the unlikely friendship between a charmingly curmudgeon-y chicken and a delightfully cheerful worm. Katherine herself is every bit as fun and delightful as her work, and I’m so excited to introduce you to the wonders of her world.
In her new collection Fungal, Ariel Gordon “takes the reader through ditches and puddles in search of morels, through the hallways of a mushroom factory, down city sidewalks and beside riverbanks as she considers things found and fungal.” Slipping and sliding effortlessly between natural, domestic, and commercial spaces, Ariel’s work is a joy.
Amanda Orlando is many things: a blogger, a cookbook author, the creator of the Free To Be Me food allergy wellness retreat, and a mom. As a leader within the food allergy community, she uses her platform to share important and inspiring content and resources reflecting her personal experience.
I recently had the honour of speaking with Governor General award-winning author Jack Wong about our experiences writing plant-focused books picture books. We also dove deep into the value of being a beginner, how to choose the right medium and style for each book, and the process of putting together a school visit that feels authentic and compelling.
Kate Rogers is a Toronto-based poet, essayist, and reviewer, as well as co-director of Art Bar, Toronto’s oldest poetry reading series. Her new poetry collection, The Meaning of Leaving (AOS Publishing), takes as its subject the broad theme of leaving, examining its many facets and angles in precise, often painful detail.
Originally from Malta, John P. Portelli is a writer of poetry and fiction, as well as a professor emeritus in the Department of Social Justice Education at the University of Toronto. His remarkable poetry collection, Here Was, navigates the tensions and contradictions between closeness and distance, past and present, what unites us and what separates us from each other.
Jamaican-Canadian picture book author Sadé Smith discusses the power of food and story to bring people together and shares a bit about her writing process and journey to publication. She also touches on her love of tacos, the importance of following your own path, and her winning approach to social media promotion.
Three cheers for Jennifer D. Foster, and for copy editors everywhere! Their work ensures the finished book a reader picks up contains the clearest, cleanest, most consistent expression of its author’s words and ideas.
Jennifer Grimbleby, managing editor at Kids Can Press, shares her love of punctuation, Sweet Valley Twins, fake plants, and puppy cuddles.
The person an author works with most closely throughout the publishing process is their editor. My editor, Katie Scott, isn’t just any editor. She’s the best.
Zoe is a genre defying and imaginative singer/songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. Known on the Toronto scene as a singing drummer and studio backup vocalist, she is now forging a solo path with fierce determination and a trunk full of creative ideas.
Brave, though provoking, often unsettling, Hollay’s work takes you deep inside singular moments and experiences, sometimes pushing at the edges of your expectations, and other times exploding them all together. Her debut poetry collection, Rebellion Box, is available now from Radiant Press.
Jennifer-Mook-Sang is the author of three fantastic books for young readers! Her latest, The Care and Keeping of Grandmas, is available now and would make a fantastic gift for kiddos and grandmas alike!
Brooke Lockyer is the painfully cool and mysterious big sister I never had. She’s also the author of Burr, an electric new work of Southern Ontario Gothic fiction that investigates the nature of grief and longing that reach beyond the grave.
Lana Button is a born storyteller. Early on, this calling took the form a love of acting. After studying to become an Early Childhood Educator, Lana fell in love with picture books and began writing for children. Today, she is the author of 10 published books for young readers, with 4 more on the way.
Alana Johnson is a fancy-pants actress, sketch comedy performer, podcaster, and writer living and working in LA. Once upon a time, though, she was a girl just like me, walking the halls of Orangeville District Secondary School. Except that she was much braver, and much funnier, and had much, much better hair.
Jaimie Franchi is a Montreal-based writer, editor, gardener, and mother of three. Her picture book text, Melt, was shortlisted for the 2022 CANSCAIP Writing for Children Contest. She is also the founder of Récolte, which produces beautiful accessories using foraged and pressed botanicals.
Naseem Hrab is the author of several picture books including the Ira Crumb series, How to Party Like a Snail and Weekend Dad, a 2020 Governor General’s Literary Awards finalist. Naseem is also the author of The Sour Cherry Tree, which won the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for Young People's Literature—Illustrated Books. Her latest book, Otis and Peanut, a graphic novel series about a long-haired guinea pig and a naked mole rat, is available now for pre-order.
Erin Pepler is many things — freelance writer, mom of two, music lover, reluctant suburbanite. She is also the author of Send Me Into The Woods Alone: Essays On Motherhood, a gem of a book that you are going to want to go out and buy right now. Seriously. Run, don’t walk! On February 25th, Erin will be speaking about the use of humour in nonfiction writing at the Sharp Words winter book fair in Hamilton.
Sometimes I wonder if Susan Yoon has designed her Instagram feed specifically to make me smile; it’s packed full of so many of the things I love most in the world— picture books, art, wildflowers, coffee shops, nature, and so much delicious food! Like me, Susan’s debut picture book drops this October, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a copy!
