AX Literary Series: Jennifer McGrath, Kelly Cooper, and Gemma Pearce

Moderated by Vanessa Moeller

October 24, 6pm

AX Literary Series:

Jennifer McGrath, Kelly Cooper, and Gemma Pearce

Thursday, October 24, 6pm
FREE Event. Donations welcomed and appreciated.

AX is pleased to welcome to the gallery children’s authors Gemma Pearce, Jennifer McGrath and Kelly Cooper! Together these authors will take part in a panel discussion led by Vanessa Moeller, talking about all thing’s Children’s Books! Gemma will be reading from her book Stories from Don’t Have A Cow Farm – Eddie’s day, Jennifer will be reading from her book The Snow Knows, and Kelly will be reading from her book Midnight and Moon.Join us on Thursday October 24th at 6PM to sit in on this children’s panel discussion and learn the in’s and outs of writing, illustrating and publishing a children’s book.Thank you to the New Brunswick Department of Tourism, Heritage and Culture for their support of this project.

The Authors

Jennifer McGrath

A national award-winning children’s author from Atlantic Canada, Jennifer is known for her dynamic presentations and engaging storytelling style. Her books are popular with avid and reluctant readers alike, and have been included in classroom reading programs, literacy initiatives and book clubs across the country.

The Snow Knows

Written by Jennifer McGrath. Illustrated by Josée Bisaillon
This gentle, seek-and-find picture book explores the secret hiding places of wild animals in the winter woods. WINNER of the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Prize and the Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children’s Writing.

Pugs Cause Traffic Jams

Written by Jennifer McGrath. Illustrated by Kathryn Durst
It’s puppy pandemonium when a wayward pug wanders off in a dog-loving neighbourhood. Comedy and chaos collide in this vibrantly illustrated picture book that’s sure to get children and grown-ups alike talking about dogs they have known.

Kelly Cooper

Kelly Cooper is a writer, artist and teacher who started her life on a farm in Saskatchewan. She now lives on a farm in Belleisle Creek, New Brunswick. She was seven years old when she first received recognition as an artist. One of her crayon works was featured on the Grandpa Sneezby Show and she received a prize of three chocolate bars and a colouring book in the mail. She is interested in many different forms of creative expression and has published a short story collection for adults (Eyehill, 2004, Goose Lane Editions) and most recently the children’s picture books, If a Horse Had Words (Tundra 2018) and Midnight and Moon (Tundra 2022). Both books won the Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children’s Writing. Her work as an art teacher at Sussex Regional High School means she spends her days inspired by the creative energy of young people and she is privileged to share in their projects.

Midnight & Moon

Moon cannot see but he hears sounds that other horses ignore: the eggshell crack of a meadow lark hatching, the glide of a salamander into the pond. Clara does not speak, but she hears sounds that other children ignore: the hum of the oven when her mother bakes muffins, the whisper of the cat’s paws on the kitchen floor.

Both the horse and the girl have challenges. Both also have special qualities which are recognized by friends who are open to seeing them. Midnight and Moon is about the rich and beautiful friendship that can form between opposites. The world needs both Claras and Jacks, Midnights and Moons

Gemma Pearce

Born in London England, I originally moved to Canada in 2015 to work with Sled dogs in the Yukon. After completing my contract I choose to stay in Dawson city and start an off grid hobby farm with my husband which we named Don’t have a cow farm, raising an array of animals including Nigerian dwarf goats, ducks, rabbits and chickens. During the long Yukon winters I took inspiration from the animals and created stories about their adventures. In 2022 we made the decision to leave the Yukon and move to Cornhill New Brunswick. Bringing our animals with us we set out on an 18 day cross country journey finally settling into our new 42 acre off grid farm we have renamed Lost in Spruce.

Stories from Don’t Have A Cow Farm - Eddie's day

It is about our farm dog Eddy who has misplaced his bone and cannot find it on his own. He takes a trip around the farm asking the individual animals if they have found it, sadly no one can help him but they do offer to share their food with him along the way.

It introduces children to different types of animals traditionally found on a farm, educates them a little on different diets of the animals and promotes sharing and helpfulness.

AX Literary Series: Jennifer McGrath, Kelly Cooper, and Gemma Pearce