CANSCAIP Members

Jo Ellen Bogart

Author

172 Palmer St.
Guelph, Ontario
N1E 2R6
Phone: (519) 836-7414
Fax: (519) 822-1676
Email: joellenbogart@rogers.com

Born: 20 October 1945. Houston, Texas
Husband James and grown son and daughter

Biography

Jo Ellen was born in Houston, Texas and spent her formative years in various cities of that state. At the University of Texas in Austin, she received degrees in elementary education and psychology. Here she met her Canadian zoologist husband, with whom she made two trips to South America to study the local amphibians. They moved to Guelph, Ontario at the beginning of 1975 and have raised a son and a daughter there. Jo Ellen worked as a supply teacher for several years, enjoying especially her experiences in school libraries.

A real animal lover, Jo Ellen has had many interesting pets over the years including Clyde the coatimundi, who played a supporting role in her book Sarah Saw Blue Macaw, on page 25, and two Peruvian parrotlets who appear on pages 8 and 9. The family's rescued chipmunk, Alvin, lived to be an elderly eight years old, sleeping from November to March each year. Astro, the African clawed frog, has been a member of the family since he was a whiskered tadpole some twenty five years ago, and lovable Argentine desert tortoise Tor Tor was a favorite of everyone who met him. Current pets include two large furry dogs (Sadie the Aussie and Wendell the Border Collie), Astro and an Australian tree frog named Twolong,along with a ton of fish. Jo Ellen also loves reading, gardening, swimming, and web surfing. She has really enjoyed opportunities to visit and speak to children in many parts of Canada and likes to hear from her readers.

Jo Ellen loves the interplay of art and words in picture books and has written many. THE NIGHT THE STARS FLEW is about a little girl discovering the magic of fireflies in a lakeside setting similar to the Bogart family cottage where Jo Ellen watches fireflies whenever the opportunity presents itself. (She also loves the northern lights and shooting stars, but who doesn't?). She has also written non-fiction books and loves the learning involved. Her love of art led her to write biographies of two of Canada's best-loved female artists, Emily Carr and Maud Lewis.

A recent project is a pair of books about four furry friends, THE BIG TREE GANG and OUT AND ABOUT WITH THE BIG TREE GANG, the latter of which was co-written with Jo Ellen's daughter, Jill Bogart. After years of writing song lyrics, Jo Ellen met singer-guitarist Eddie Douglas and formed a songwriting team that added six songs to Eddie's latest CD.

Published Works

Crazy for Puppies, ill. Mark Raycroft, Scholastic 2006
Out and About with the Big Tree Gang by Jo Ellen Bogart and Jill Bogart, ill by Dean Griffiths, 2006 Orca Book Publishers
The Big Tree Gang, ill. Dean Griffiths, Orca Books, 2005
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World, ill. Maxwell Newhouse, Tundra Books, 2003
Capturing Joy: The Story of Maud Lewis, ill. Mark Lang, Tundra Books, 2002
The Night the Stars Flew, ill. Ginette Beaulieu, North Winds Press, Scholastic 2001.
Money, Make It Spend It Save It, ill. Teco Guerreiro, from Scholastic Canada, 2001.
Your Guide to Dogs and Dog Care, Coles Publishing 1999
Jeremiah Learns to Read, ill. Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson, Orchard Press, 1999 and North Winds Press, Scholastic Canada, 1997
Gifts, Ill. Barbara Reid, North Winds Press Scholastic Canada 1994
Two Too Many, Ill. Yvonne Cathcart, North Winds Press, Scholastic Canada 1994
Mama's Bed, Ill. Sylvie Daigneault, North Winds Press, Scholastic 1993
Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw, Ill. Sylvie Daigneault, North Winds Press, Scholastic 1991
Daniel's Dog, Ill. Janet Wilson, North Winds Press Scholastic 1990
Ten for Dinner, Ill. Carlos Freire, North Winds Press Scholastic 1989
Malcolm's Runaway Soap, Ill. Linda Hendry, North Winds Press, Scholastic 1988
Dylan's Lullaby, Ill. Cheryl Lowrey, Annnick Press, 1988

Various poems and stories in magazines

Recorded Works

Lyrics for six songs on GONNA KEEP DANCING, a music CD for families, performed and produced by Eddie Douglas, Fat Flea Music.
Audio tapes for the stories Jeremiah Learns to Read, Malcolm's Runaway Soap, Daniel's Dog, Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw and Gifts, from Scholastic

Awards

Awards: Money, Make It Spend It, Save It, Short List, Red Cedar Award
Capturing Joy: The Story of Maud Lewis, Short-listed for 2004 Hackmatack Children's Choice Book Award
Capturing Joy: The Story of Maud Lewis, Short-listed for 2003 Information Book Award
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World, Chapters Best of 2003 Non-fiction list
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World, 2004 Information Book Award Honour Book
Emily Carr: At the Edge of the World, Shortlist Red Cedar Award 2005-2006
Ruth Schwartz Award for Jeremiah Learns to Read
Tiny torgi Award for Jeremiah Learns to Read
Gifts shortlisted for the Mr. Christie and the Ruth Schwartz

Other Memberships

SCBWI, Writers Union of Canada

Available For

Talks to children at schools and libraries and talks to adults at libraries, conferences and other meetings.


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