Did you know that it’s helpful, when speaking on the radio, to stand up? It is said to increase the energy level in the sound of your voice. I tried that out yesterday morning when I spoke with Chris on KiSS 105.3 about This is the Boat that Ben Built and the 2023 Ruth &… Read more »
writing life
It’s been a great year!
What a year! Celebrating firsts, clockwise from the top: First in-person book launch, held with family and friends, at Overflow Brewery in Ottawa This is the Boat that Ben Built was included in the Canadian Children’s Book News publication, and later in their Best Books for Kids and Teens. This is a photo of the shelf… Read more »
Bookstore love: it’s been a great year!
This is the Boat that Ben Built has been out in the world for one year! This is the second post in a short series to mark the occasion. Seeing This is the Boat that Ben Built in local bookstores was such a fantastic feeling! I am grateful for the support of my local booksellers… Read more »
So many readers: It’s been a great year!
This is the Boat that Ben Built has been out in the world for one year! This is the first post in a short series to mark the occasion. The other day, as I was getting ready to go on a school visit, I realized that I was almost out of bookmarks to hand out… Read more »
A school visit to Elmwood!
Had such fun at Elmwood School last Friday, exploring my picture book and the northern river ecosystem with the enthusiastic grade 1-5 students! Their March theme was curiosity, and they really lived up to it with their thoughtful questions about the creative process and the animals in the story.
World Read Aloud Day – Reflections
You never quite can tell what’s going to happen on an in-person school visit. The projector goes out. The microphone screeches. A fire drill is called in the middle of a presentation. (We all lined up in the school yard…) But despite it all, you can usually tell when you’ve connected with them. They’re right… Read more »
First in-person book signing event: a great success!
Yesterday morning I was a ball of nerves getting ready for my first in-person book signing event. But when I got to read to these young explorers, the nervousness dissipated and we quickly connected about the story. They loved guessing which animal would be next, finding the animals that had already been introduced, watching what… Read more »
Bloopers and Behind the Scenes
It’s been a whirlwind since the book release! My favorite part has been getting photos from readers with my book from all over Canada and the US – especially from kids. I love hearing about their favorite animals in the book, too: so far the owl is quite popular, followed closely by the dog! (note… Read more »
Book Birthday!
Today’s the day: This is the Boat that Ben Built is officially out in the world! I’m so excited for kids to read this playful book that Maggie and I created! Many, many thanks to everyone at Pajama Press including our publisher Gail, editor Erin, graphic designer Lorena, marketing team (Dagmawit, Quinn, & Abhya),… Read more »
Waiting for spring: FISH
It’s one month away from the spring launch of This is the Boat that Ben Built and I started thinking about what the animals in the book might be up to while I was wintering and preparing. I’ve got my warm coat, mitts, and hat… What are they up to as they await spring? What… Read more »