Through the years, I've written just about everything but children's books hold a special place in my heart. I grew up in a home filled with books, and was fortunate to have parents who read to me every night, and sisters who read beside me on hot Sacramento days, plopped down in the shade of the apple trees in our rambling backyard. Often we turned the stories we read into plays, acting out all the parts ourselves, like Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy from Little Women. Books were magical to me, especially adventure stories. Peter Pan. Tom Sawyer. Mary Poppins. A Wrinkle in Time.
I've also enjoyed the friendship and support of many children's authors and illustrators, both in my San Francisco Bay Area community and through the wonderful stewardship and support of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators.
My first children's book, Walking with Maga, was inspired by my own walks with my grandmother when I was young, and my children's walks with their beloved "Maga," a name born from my then toddler daughter's attempts to say "Grandma." In our home, the name Maga means love - the very special love between grandparents and grandchildren. Originally published in hardcover, this book has been translated into multiple languages and was re-issued in 2015 as an ebook, set to music and narrated in English and Spanish. It can be purchased here:
All About Kids Publishing
All About Kids Publishing
When Maga and I go walking, we gather things we find. A smooth, round stone. A bottle cap Leaves, acorns and bugs. |
With my mother-in-law, the real "Maga" at a booksigning
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