WHAT ARE MY BOOKS ABOUT?

They are about many things, but they do have one thing in common. They were all written for young people, and much to my delight each one seems to teach something, not in a preachy way I hope, but in a fun way.

Several years ago, I asked one of my publishers, “Why do you keep choosing different illustrators for my picture books?”

Her reply was, “Why do you keep writing different kinds of books.”

I think my most popular books are those that tie in with some aspect of Canadian history. When reviewing “A Dog Came, Too” one reviewer said, ”There will hopefully be more books of this kind and calibre from this author.”

I did write more with Canadian historical content, but I also tried other genres! I wrote a number of books about children with disabilities and other medical problems. Two of them I was asked to write for Rick Hansen… writing for Rick was a great honour!

Picture books are probably my favourite genre. Ahh, curling up with a picture book – what could be better! Not only do children love being read to… adults do too! I’ve written several picture books and I hope to write several more.

Ballerinas Don’t Wear Glasses” was triggered by an incident in my own childhood. Teachers have found it’s not only a great sibling story but also excellent for starting dialogue about bullying.

Just Like New” is also based on a childhood memory. Some teachers call it “historical fiction” and like to share it with students when talking about war. (Does that make me HISTORY? Horrors!)

I wrote “A Giraffe Called Geranium” because I fell in love with giraffes on a visit to Uganda. But the illustrations and colourful maps are being used as an introduction to geography. Geranium has begun many classroom discussions about poaching and animals in captivity.

When one teacher read the story to her Grade One class, the students were very moved by the illustration of Geranium’s tears. Three of them, new to Canada, had always been silent about their experiences. They were still homesick, still grieving for those who had been left behind. But now they opened up. They were ready to share their stories with their classmates.

Please read and enjoy my website. Read all my books, too! If you’re a child, let me know which are your favourites and why. If you’re a parent or a teacher let me know where you think my books might fit into your school curriculum! Some are becoming scarce, but can still be ordered through reddiamondbooks.ca

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