Authors and Illustrators In and Around Vancouver

by Gwendolyn Floyd

One of my passions is children's literature and the effect good books can have on children's imaginations. As a teacher I was able to foster a love of books of all kinds with children and now with my own son I am doing the same. An easy way to do this is to find really good books with engaging authors and dynamite illustrators.

When I was teaching before my son was born I was able to be a volunteer for the Canadian Children's Book Centre and the Red Cedar Book Awards. This is a British Columbian award given to Canadian authors in both non-fiction and fiction for grades 4 to 7. I also volunteered to run the Canadian Children's Author tent at Word on the Street (usually the last Sunday in September) for a few years as well. It was this volunteering that gave me the chance to meet a number of authors and illustrators.

Cynthia Nugent is an amazing illustrator and writer. One of my favourites as well as one of my son's favourites is When Cats Go Wrong. A song written by Norm Hacking, it is the story of someone who has a cat and all the things that can go wrong while they are gone. Cynthia's illustrations are paintings done in the style of Lautrec. The book comes with a cd of Norm Hacking singing his tango. We love to curl up and look at the pictures while singing the song. If you get a chance to take in one of Cynthia's presentations, do. She is very engaging and has lots of pictures of her illustrating process.

Linda Bailey is the author of the Stanley series. Stanley is a dog who gets in trouble in the first place by having a party. It is one of those things that get very out of hand when one dog tells another dog who tells another dog and so on. Illustrated by Bill Slavin, the story takes on a life of its own as you wind through the pages. Your preschooler will be laughing out loud at the crazy antics of the dogs.

There are so many great Canadian authors you can easily find something relevant to your preschooler. One of the big draws to Stanley's Party is the use of local scenery and history. Pair the reading with a trip to Stanley Park or to Gastown to meet the real (well statue) Gassy Jack. Check out Kidsbooks either in person or online for a list of great Canadian and West Coast authors.