Who is the tree in your life? And whom will you be a tree to? There are many people in our lives, family, friends, teachers, and mentors, who nurture us and make us who we are today. How often do we ... Read More  

Science Literacy Week is almost over – almost, but not quite! There’s still time to get some free science-y goodness in your life, so hop on over to the Science Literacy Week website to learn about last-minute events happening ... Read More  

It’s the most, wonderful tiiiiiime of the year – at least, if you’re a science person! It’s Science Literacy Week! If you’re not familiar, Science Literacy Week is an annual, national celebration of all things science. Universities, libraries, and ... Read More  

People who write historical fiction generally love research. We have a reverence for minutiae and often find ourselves spending many hours reading about things that have nothing whatsoever to do with our stories. We love the hunt and the ... Read More  

What are the first words you think of when you read Teenagers are…? Did the words resourceful, hard-working, or resilient come to mind? We’ve all heard negative stereotypes about how today’s generation have it so easy, but we overlook the ... Read More  

I’ve always been fascinated by the story behind a book.  What sparks an idea or theme? My latest picture book, A Flower is a Friend with luminous art by Karen Patkau, published by Pajama Press, began with a packet of ... Read More  

About 5 years ago, Tech Support and I moved to Ontario. We live in a relatively new neighbourhood, and the first year, there were lawns but no trees. The second year, scattered shrubs and the occasional sapling. Now, almost ... Read More  

I’ve loved playing with words and making up stories ever since I was a child. Back then, I drank imaginary tea and served it to my imaginary guests. I pretended a goblin lived in my closet and a witch ... Read More  

It's Arctic Sea Ice Day, which means the internet is about to be covered in polar bears. Don't get me wrong - polar bears are awesome, and I would dearly love to snuggle me a bear cub, because they ... Read More  

Hi all! This post was scheduled to publish while I was away on a well-earned holiday. I returned to discover that the tech gods were also on holiday that week. Oh well, better late than never. It’s International Day ... Read More  

I am so glad that World Oceans Day is finally here! I’ve been holding on to some truly AMAZING ocean info – info we cut from Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth due to concerns it was ... Read More  

When I started research for Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth, I knew that Arctic and Antarctic ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change. I didn’t know that they are also particularly vulnerable to pollution. It’s World ... Read More  

How does an author known for books about history, social justice and sports write a book about science and superheroes?  By calling up her past. I never studied science, and I’m certainly not a superhero (I don’t think), but as ... Read More  

This book was a collaboration from the beginning. Ideas for words and images exchanged between friends. On a warm summer day, as Frieda and I relaxed in her beautiful garden, we noticed birds and insects whizzing and settling among the ... Read More  

Today is World Migratory Bird Day, making it the perfect day to talk about terns - the champion migrators of the biological world. Adult terns weigh about 100 g, and every year, they make round-trip journeys of up to ... Read More  

First things first! I'm doing a free Polar presentation with Exploring by the Seat of Your Pants today at 12:30 Eastern. Head over to their YouTube channel to watch. You can also catch the recording on demand. And remember ... Read More  

Polar is about animal adaptations - the behaviours, body parts, and body functions that help animals survive in extreme habitats. Each spread pairs two animal species - one in the Arctic and one in Antarctica - that are using ... Read More  

Two more sleeps until Polar: Wildlife at the Ends of the Earth lands in bookstores! I am so proud of this book and I can’t wait to share it with all of you. Which brings me to today’s topic: ... Read More