About
Who am I?
- Award-winning toy inventor
- Children’s and Young Adult book author
- Illustrator
- Creativity and art advocate.
What have I created?
- Author of Women of Steel and Stone: 22 Inspirational Architects, Engineers, and Landscape Designers (Chicago Review Press 2014)
- Author of City Doodles – Chicago (Gibbs-Smith 2013)
- Author and consulting editor for several children’s magazines
- Toy designer at Mattel and Tonka Toys
Full Bio
Inspiring creativity, one child at a time
As an author, I encourage students to think creatively. Cartooning, Kids Got Game, and Monster Imaginations are just a few of the classes I teach at schools, libraries, and park districts through my company, Ideasplash.
Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, I also lived in Minneapolis, Los Angeles, and Reno, Nevada until I settled in my current town of St. Charles, Illinois, in the Chicago suburbs. I live with my husband, 3 wildly creative children, and Lucy, an Old English Sheepdog, who patiently piles tennis balls at my feet while I write. (And, our cat, Milton, who rules the house.)
Books
Women of Steel and Stone
22 Inspirational Architects, Engineers, and Landscape Designers
An inspiration for young people who love to design, build, and work with their hands, Women of Steel and Stone tells the stories of 22 female architects, engineers, and landscape designers from the 1800s to today.
City Doodles
Chicago
Take a journey through Chicago with stops at Wrigley Field, the Adler Planetarium, and the Field Museum. See the city from an incredible vantage point on a skyscraper in the Loop, wander through the shops in the Magnificent Mile on Michigan Avenue, and don’t forget to pick up a loaded hot dog while you’re out.
Praise for Women of Steel and Stone
“One of the best non-fiction books for kids I’ve ever read.”
Smart Books for Smart Kids“A much-needed, clearly presented history.”
School Library JournalContact
I would love to hear from you.
Please contact me via this form if you have any questions regarding:
- My books
- Author presentations at your school or via Skype
- Classroom handouts
- Speaking on STEM, Art in the Schools, Toy Inventing, Writing Process