ARTIST STATEMENT
Berrie has been passionate about children’s literature since she was a little girl, and has fed her desire by becoming a children’s librarian and by pursuing a career as an illustrator and writer of children’s books. Berrie’s professional experience includes illustrating books for various businesses and academic institutions. Berrie has also illustrated a book through Dorrance Publishing. In addition, she was a selected participant in the Highlights Foundation Super Boot Camp for Writers and Illustrators for her story Bo Peep, Spot and the Bebop Sheep.
Berrie’s latest project is “Queen Tess and the Big Mess”. After receiving the gift of a sparkly crown from her grandmother, Tess imagines herself as queen for the day and makes a mess as she gathers supplies for her imaginary kingdom. She takes the tablecloth off the kitchen table to use as a cape, paints a cardboard box on the living room sofa for her castle, tries to use the fish bowl as a moat, and recruit her cat as a soldier before her exasperated father orders her to clean up her mess. Tess states, “A queen doesn’t clean!” After Tess thinks about her next move during time-out she politely asks her dad for help. Together Tess and her dad engage in imaginative play while cleaning the mess. When they are done, they reward themselves with a royal nap.
Berrie is the Illustrator Coordinator for the Eastern PA SCBWI. A monthly comic strip “The Adventures of Lola and Louie” appears on Berrie’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Berrietrart. Berrie studied at Syracuse University earning a BFA in Media Arts. Pursuing her desire to work with children, she returned to school and earned a Masters Degree in Information Studies at Drexel University.
