about the authors

Andrew Binks is a first year MFA in creative writing at UBC. His work has appeared in Prism International, The Globe and Mail, The Queen’s Alumni Review, Xtra and Xtra West. His story is for everyone including Sam, Max Lev and Emily.

Amy Dennis has had her poetry in literary magazines in Canada and Japan, and has read her fiction on CBC Radio’s Sounds Like Canada. Her first children’s book, James Parsons and His Magnificent Mouth of Adventure was published in the summer of 2004. Currently, she is working on a book of poetry for children, and fervently believes that the world would be a better place if more adults read picture books!

Kallie George is currently taking her Masters in Children’s Literature at UBC. She has been published in previous issues of Chameleon and has just started up her own children’s book publishing company, Lucky Penny Press.

In grade school, Jean Kindratsky refused to carry an umbrella or wear a hat. On the wet west side of Vancouver Island, she squelched and dripped until entering junior high, when the state of her hair became a matter of grave importance. Today, when others take shelter from torrential downpours, she often puddle dances with her five year old daughter.

Lori Lee Sherritt is an arts educator in Vancouver who has created and implemented many arts based programs for the Vancouver School and Parks Board, including a circus program, a film and video program, and a Harry Potter literacy program. A graduate of Brock University in Ontario, she has also studied in Ireland and France and traveled the globe. Recently the Artist in Residence at West Point Grey Community Centre, she wrote and published a book of photos and stories entitled Community Portraits: A Look at West Point Grey. She also worked on Portrait V2K, the City of Vancouver’s millennium project, producing a book and museum exhibit. She performs locally for elementary students with her theatre in education company The Tickle Trunk Players, and has traveled to Korea to produce a learning kit designed to improve pronunciation.

Vikki VanSickle is in her first year of the Masters of Arts in Children’s Literature program at UBC. She enjoys writing plays and picture books for children. She is a musical theatre enthusiast and loves cats. The Animal Parade is dedicated to Misty, the best cat in the whole world.

Old enough to have lived in the era of penny candy, Julie Weatherall has come late to writing, but brings a lifetime of experiences. She has lived in Spain and Nigeria and hosted 66 international students. Currently on leave from teaching grade one, she is working on her Masters and writing a YA novel. Her two sons, ages 12 and 14, keep her in line.

Kari-Lynn Winters is the author of Jeffrey and Sloth (in press, Orca Book Publishers, 2007), a picture book about the daunting task of writing homework, and The Meaning Maker, a children’s play about reading strategies which is currently being toured throughout the Vancouver region. A graduate of Canada’s National Theatre School, she is currently performing with the Vancouver children’s theatre group Tickle Trunk Players. Kari has taught a range of students in Canada and the United States, including pre-school, special education, primary and intermediate, high school, and now university teacher education. She is currently completing her coursework for a Ph.D. in the Language and Literacy Department at UBC. Her research interests are children’s literature, print literacy, and multimodal forms of learning.

about the illustrators
 

Aidan Cassie grew up on the lower mainland’s North Shore and studied in both the faculties of Education and Sciences before she yielded to her love of storytelling and illustration by completing her degree in Media Arts at the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design.

Krista Mason is an artist and illustrator from East Vancouver. When she’s not driving the miniature train in Stanley Park, she is working on a series of musical picture books, Bonker Buddies with her brother-in-law Trevor Mason.

Kathryn Shoemaker recently completed her MA in Children’s Literature at UBC. Her thesis, Crowgirl’s Amazing Adventure Scrapbook, is a graphic novel for eight to twelve year olds that she will soon illustrate. She has illustrated thirty-five books for children.

Margaret Tan received her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design. She lives in Vancouver, working as a packaging and graphic designer.

Tami Thirlwell has a fine arts diploma and a design certificate. She enjoys drawing and painting in watercolour and answers mainly to her cat.

Marjolein Visser holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Universtiy of Calgary. She now lives in Vancouver where she likes, among other things, to draw the clouds and the mountains.

Diane Yee works in Vancouver as a freelance graphic designer and illustrator.
She has always wanted an tabby cat, especially an orange one.

Jennifer Zizman completed her degree in Fine Arts at the University of Victoria where her main medium of expression was painting. Recently she has begun focusing on creating illustrations for children. She is presently working at creating artwork for children and for children’s literature out of her home studio, Stone Path Studio.