Welcome!

   

   I'm Susan Stockdale, the author and illustrator of children's books about nature:

Carry Me! Animal Babies on the Move

Nature's Paintbrush

Some Sleep Standing Up

and my 2008 book

Fabulous Fishes

Here's what the reviewers are saying about Fabulous Fishes:

"Every turn of the page reveals vivid paintings of exotic as well as common underwater creatures to delight all ages. If the paintings are the feast, Stockdale's words are the dessert."
                                                                                                             The Washington Post 

"Youngsters will tap their toes to the rhythm. An excellent teaching tool and an appealing introduction to the wide world of fish."    Kirkus Reviews

"An exciting way to prepare kids for a visit to the aquarium."  Booklist

"With creativity and accuracy unusual for an early primary book, this volume has earned an NSTA/CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2009 designation."
                                                                                  National Science Teachers Association

 

You can read The Washington Post article about how I created this book by clicking here:
Every Story Is a Picture: With 'Fabulous Fishes,' Stockdale Brings Underwater Creatures to Life

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Exciting news...

Check out my television appearance on Fairfax Network's "Meet the Author" Program! The program can be viewed in its entirety on my Press page, but here are some excerpts from the show:

My research process (2 minutes)
Illustrating in my studio (3 minutes)
Kindergarteners bring Fabulous Fishes to life (2 minutes)
Advice to Budding Author/Illustrators (30 seconds)

I've got a fun reading and book signing coming up at the Broad Branch Market in Washington, DC on Saturday, July 11. Check out my Appearance page for more information. 

Art work from Fabulous Fishes is traveling nationally as part of the Society of Illustrators "Original Art 2008-2009 Traveling Exhibition." For more information, visit www.societyillustrators.org.

Nature's Paintbrush has been published in paperback by Houghton Mifflin and is now available for purchase by teachers. Detailed ordering information is available on my Books page under Nature's Paintbrush.

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What I'm working on now...

I am currently creating a book about birds. Like Fabulous Fishes, I have written it in verse and it includes 21 of these amazing animals. An addendum will provide additional information about each bird. Experts at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and National Zoo and the Cornell Lab of Ornithology helped me with my research and I'm traveling to the Galapagos Islands next February to see many of the birds I'm depicting in the book. It will be thrilling to see these creatures in their native habitat. I'm currently painting the illustrations, a process which will take me a full year to complete. Look for publication from Peachtree Publishers in Spring, 2011!

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It's a joy for me to share my passion for writing and illustrating and to celebrate nature in my books and presentations. Please explore my web site and contact me if you have any questions. I'm easy to reach at susan1797@aol.com.