Bio:

When I was little, I drew all the time.  All my mom had to do to keep me happily occupied was give me a piece of paper and a ball point pen.  I was weird that way, as while most kids liked crayons, I preferred ballpoint pens.  I liked how the lines were cleaner and I could make super detailed pictures with them.  My favourite things to draw were inspired by storybooks.   I loved to draw pictures inspired by fairytales, nursery rhymes,  and any of the Dr. Seuss books.  I also remember being confused by the Rupert the Bear books by Ian Robinson.  Why does that kid have a boy’s body and a bear’s head? I used to wonder.  He must have been cursed or something.   It wouldn’t be till much later that I would learn about anthropomorphism. Now try saying that with a mouth full of peanut butter!
As I grew older, I discovered comics.  I loved Peanuts by Charles Schultz and comic books such as Casper the Friendly Ghost, and Archie. I started drawing my own comics.   When I was eleven, I created a comic strip about a family called The Rounders. I worked on this comic strip off and on for years and even through college at Emily Carr College of Art.  As a grown-up, I worked in a computer games company by day, and by night I led another life as a cartoonist and a painter.  I had cartoons published internationally in magazines, weeklies, and books.  I exhibited my cartoonish paintings at fun places like Smash Gallery in Vancouver.
When I had my children, I fell in love with kids books again.  To this end, I have gone back to college to learn more about the writing part of a book (I’ve already been to college for the art part, remember).   I find it both hard and fun.  I am presently working on several stories: a picture book about a school librarian who farts, a chapter book based on a true story about a boy imprisoned in a Japanese internment camp, and an early chapter book about a pair of twins who battle it out with a wicked witch.   I have also written many silly poems and rhyming stories.  I am presently a member of SCBWI, which I pronounce ‘scwi-bee’, and the Vancouver Children’s Literature Round Table, which has more syllables than you can shake a stick at.

Writer/Illustrator
Associate
Member since 2009
Region: Canada: West

Contact Information

Email:  thenry-s@telus.net
Current Location:   BC
Website:  http://theresahenrysmith.com/

Published In Children's Market: No