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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.
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?
