About Me

The quick version:
I’m the author of ten books for children, most recently POTTY ANIMALS from Sterling Books. I’ve also written one book for teachers: Weaving the Literacy Web: Creating Curriculum Based on Books Children Love (Redleaf Press) and I’m the co-author of Nothing Rhymes With Orange (Perigee), a rhyming dictionary for poets and songwriters. I was an early childhood teacher and center director for many years before I began writing for children. When I’m not writing, I freelance developmental materials for parents and early childhood professionals, I edit an early childhood website, and take care of cows, horses, pigs and dogs on my small farm just outside Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The extended version: Born in New Orleans and raised in Ann Arbor, Michigan, I returned to this area after graduating with a degree in Psychology and Geology from Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. I have always been a writer– letters, newsletters, parodies, poems — but began writing books for children after many years teaching preschool. I wanted to know what attracted kids to the books they loved, and why some apparently beautiful books didn’t hold their interest. I happened upon a newspaper advertisement for a class about writing picture books taught by Nancy Shaw (Sheep in a Jeep) and Tracy Gallup (Stone Crazy), signed up, and I was hooked. I’m the author of ten picture books, most recently POTTY ANIMALS from Sterling Books. I’ve also written one book for teachers: Weaving the Literacy Web: Creating Curriculum Based on Books Children Love (Redleaf Press) and I’m the co-author of Nothing Rhymes With Orange (Perigee), a rhyming dictionary for poets and songwriters. I’m a member of IRA and NAEYC, and speak frequently about early childhood development, early literacy, and writing craft at local, state and national conferences. I live on a small farm just outside of Ann Arbor with my two sons, husband, and a menagerie of animals including cows, horses, ponies, pigs, and dogs. I’m an avid gardener, photographer, and amateur bird watcher. I feel lucky when I’m greeted by a bluebird first thing on a sunny morning.

The silly version: Growing up in a relatively chaotic household with eleven brothers and sisters, I developed special talents for fibbing, fudging (i.e., figuring out how to make things work), and cleaning up big messes. I believe all three skills help me write funny, honest books for children. My first published poem was written at age seven for a summer poetry class. I distinctly remember being surprised and tickled by the teacher’s delight with it. Here’s the poem (which was formatted differently): When I was little, I ate a lightbulb and it tasted good. That  poem was not a metaphor — it actually happened when I was a baby. (My mom thought I was eating potato chips.) But it worked as a metaphor, and although I didn’t have words for the sensation at that time, I realized that words are powerful and context matters. I tend to write stories about good kids behaving badly, which is pretty much the summary of my growing up years. I met my husband working at a summer camp up north. At the end of the year, silly staff predictions suggested we’d marry and I’d go on to publish an epic novel: Pride and Pig Farmers. Pretty close, eh?

Representation: I am represented by literary agent Anna Webman of Curtis Brown, Ltd.