Posts in Cantastic Authorpalooza


The Crayon Stub, a picture book by Marcus Cutler

Marcus Cutler: Creating Comedic Picture Book Duos

Reach back into your brain and try to remember, who was your first comedic duo? Like many others, I think mine was Bert and Ernie from Sesame Street. Their Cookies In Bed sketch and Here Fishy Fishy sketch still ... Read More  

The Witching Hour by Jennifer Harris

Jennifer Harris: The Witching Hour

I woke up with two lines in my head: In the witching hour, The sky turns orange. Just those two lines—but I knew it was something good. Read More  

Oksanna Crawley: How a Reader Becomes a Writer

My earliest memories of books take me back to my hometown of Val d’Or, Quebec, lying in bed, reading Winnie the Pooh. In Toronto, when I was a bit older, I saved up my money (50 cents!), walked to ... Read More  

Wait Like a Seed, by Erin Alladin, illustrated by Tara Anderson

Erin Alladin: Don’t Disconnect. Reconnect.

In our hyper-online world, we worry about the effect our devices are having on us—and especially on our children. We strategize ways to disconnect from social media, from apps, from the dopamine machines we carry around in our pockets. Read More  

Jennifer Maruno Introduces Chidori

Welcome to Cantastic Authorpalooza, featuring posts by and about great Canadian children’s book creators! Today’s guest: Jennifer Maruno. Take it away, Jennifer! Chidori is the story of the 2011 Japanese earthquake and tsunami, told from the point of view ... Read More  

Emily Deibert: Learning to Take My Shot

Like many tweens, one of my biggest fears growing up was embarrassing myself. I was so scared of looking silly in front of my classmates that I often didn’t let myself try new things—from learning a new dance or ... Read More  

Superpower? by Elaine Kachala

Elaine Kachala: Wearable Technologies Are Giving Us Superpowers—I’m Hopeful, but Also Worried

I was waist-deep in research about fourth industrial revolution technologies (4IR) when, many drafts later, I'd landed on the topic of wearables—technology that's on, in, or attached to your body. The topic cast a spell on me. I had to ... Read More  

Who's Walking Dawg by Marie Prins

Marie Prins: Dawg and Daily Life

I came to writing for children late in life, well after my own children had grown and left home. But books and stories have always been a big part of my life, even before my mother taught me to ... Read More  

Middle grade novel, After the Wallpaper Music, by Jean Mills

Jean Mills: The “Before” that Sparked After the Wallpaper Music

Like most authors, I use the world around me - especially my own world of experience – to create stories for young readers. So it’s not hard to identify the spark that ignited my latest Middle Grade novel, After ... Read More  

Playdate Surprise by Karen Autio

Karen Autio: Playing with Friends is Important for ALL Kids

Playdates at our home got my super-social daughter, Annaliis, excited. She also loved going to birthday parties, but an even bigger highlight was a playdate at a friend’s home. However, these were rare as she was born with disabilities ... Read More  

The Wind and Amanda's Cello, by Alison Lohans

Alison Lohans: On the Magic of Making Art

Creating new things. Sometimes beautiful things. We rarely know the deep origins, or why a particular “something” begins to wiggle, and then morph into a new creative work. Read More  

My Grammie's House, a picture book by Lana Button

Lana Button: Making Memories with My Grammie’s House

My Grammie’s House (Tundra) beautifully illustrated by Skye Ali, was inspired by the best kinds of childhood memories- the ones that bring back a sense of comfort and contentment. The child in the story gives a tour to potential ... Read More  

Beyond Amelia, a novel by Heather Stemp

Heather Stemp: How My Family’s Link to Amelia Earhart Became a Series

I began writing Amelia & Me, the first book in the Ginny Ross Series, when Amelia Earhart dropped into my family history. The convergence of Amelia’s history with my own was an opportunity I couldn’t ignore. It was 1932, ... Read More  

The Blue Canoe by Sheryl McFarlane, illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth

Sheryl McFarlane: Introducing The Blue Canoe

A mother and daughter love to canoe on the little lake at their family cabin. With her mother expecting a new baby, their paddling time together provides a perfect opportunity to explore local flora and fauna and for the ... Read More  

The Global Ocean by Rochelle Strauss

Rochelle Strauss – Building Ocean Literacy on World Ocean Day

Take a deep breath in. Now hold it. You probably know that you have the trees to thank for that breath you just took. Trees and other plants provide the oxygen that makes Earth habitable. But they don’t work alone! The ... Read More  

A Planet is a Poem by Amanda West Lewis

Amanda West Lewis: On Not Being a Poet

For most of my life, I’ve actively avoided writing poetry. There are SO MANY bad poems in the world. But poetry has always been a huge part of my life. I studied calligraphy when I was young, eventually becoming a ... Read More  

Blue to the Sky by Sylvia McNicoll

Sylvia McNicoll: About Blue to the Sky

Food allergies seem like a big bother when you can’t bring your favourite sandwich or have a special treat day at school. But how much bigger is the bother for the person who has the allergies. Imagine trusting people ... Read More  

Author Carol Matas holds her new book, Zevi Takes the Spotlight

Carol Matas: Psychics and Murders, Oh My!

I know I am a guest on a scientist’s blog today, but I have to talk about something that doesn’t quite fit in with scientific theory. Or does it??? Psychic powers? Synchronicity? Messages from beyond? Prophetic dreams? Dowsing? Far-seeing? Read More