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Jo Ellen Bogart

Author

 

Member profile details

First Name
Jo Ellen
Last Name
Bogart
Province or Territory
Ontario
Craft
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Jo Ellen Bogart
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@JoEllenBogart
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Jo Ellen Bogart
 

Professional information

Bio
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. She moved to Guelph, Ontario in 1975 and worked as a supply teacher for several years, enjoying especially her experiences in school libraries. Jo Ellen has two grown children, a son and a daughter, plus five grandchildren.

A real animal lover, Jo Ellen has had many interesting pets over the years, including Peruvian parrotlets, a coatimundi,and an Argentine tortoise. She is dog-mum to Sophie, a young Australian Shepherd.

Jo Ellen also loves reading, gardening, swimming, web surfing, and playing with the grandchildren. 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. She likes to write about nature, numbers, art, and science. She loves fireflies, the northern lights and shooting stars, enjoying the research and 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 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, was aimed at early elementary readers. Jo Ellen's 2009 picture book from Tundra Books, entitled BIG AND SMALL, ROOM FOR ALL, was nominated for the Lane Anderson Award for science writing for young readers, a great honor for the book of beautiful illustrations and very few words.

Jo Ellen exercised her love of poetry by also writing song lyrics. She contributed songs to two JUNO nominated albums by Guelph musician/singer/song writer Eddie Douglas.

Jo Ellen wrote a simplified prose version of a much loved thousand year old poem, Pangur Ban, and it became a soothing, but inspiring, book called The White Cat and the Monk. The book has experienced wide success including European publication and translation and a Governor General's nomination.
Available For
School visits, festival and conference talks to youngsters and adults, readings, signings
Publications
Children's Music
Gonna Keep Dancing, JUNO nominated Music CD by Eddie Douglas- lyrics for 6 songs Fat Flea Music, 2007
Eddie Douglas- composer, musician, vocalist, producer

Sleepy Sky Lullaby: Traditional & Contemporary Poems for Peaceful Nights, JUNO nominated, lyrics for 2 songs
Fat Flea Music, 2011
Eddie Douglas- composer, musician, vocalist, producer


Children's Fiction
Anthony and the Gargoyle Groundwood Books 2021 Maja Kastelic illustrator

Little Blue House Beside the Sea Tilbury House Publishers 2020 Carme Lemniscates illustrator

Count Your Chickens Tundra Books Penguin/Random House 2017 Lori Joy Smith illustrator

The White Cat and the Monk
Groundwood Books 2016 Sydney Smith illustrator

Out and About with the Big Tree Gang
Orca Book Publishers, 2006
Jill Bogart, co-author and Dean Griffiths, illustrator

The Big Tree Gang
Orca book Publishers, 2005
Dean Griffiths, illustrator

The Night the Stars Flew
North Winds Press Scholastic Canada, 2001 Ginette Beaulieu illustrator

Jeremiah Learns to Read
North Winds Press Scholastic and Orchard Books USA, 1997
Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson illustrators

Gifts
North Winds Press Scholastic Canada, 1994 Barbara Reid illustrator

Two Too Many North Winds Press Scholastic Canada, 1994 Yvonne Cathcart
illustrator

Mama's Bed North Winds Press Scholastic Canada, 1993 Sylvie Daigneault illustrator

Sarah Saw a Blue Macaw
North Winds Press Scholastic Canada, 1991 Sylvie Daigneault illustrator

Daniel's Dog North Winds Press Scholastic, 1990 Janet Wilson illustrator

Ten for Dinner
North Winds Press Scholastic Canada, 1989 Carlos Freire illustrator

Malcolm's Runaway Soap
North Winds Press Scholastic Canada, 1988 Linda Hendry illustrator

Dylan's Lullaby
Annick Press, 1988
Cheryl Lowrey illustrator

Children's Non-Fiction

Big and Small, Room for All
Tundra Books, 2009
Gillian Newland illustrator

Crazy for Puppies
Scholastic Canada , 2006
Mark Raycroft photographer

Emily Carr:At the Edge of the World
Tundra Books, 2003 Maxwell Newhouse illustrator

Capturing Joy: the Story of Maud Lewis
Tundra Books,2002 Mark Lang illustrator

Money, Make It, Spend It, Save It
Scholastic Canada, 2001
Teco Guerreiro illustrator
Performances and Exhibitions
Numerous conference speeches and literary festival performances
Awards
Governor General's Award nomination for The White Cat and the Monk

New York Times'Best Illustrated book 2016 for The White Cat and the Monk

2010 Lane Anderson Award, Finalist
Category: Science for Young Readers
For: Big and Small, Room for All
With: Gillian Newland

2004 Information Book Award Honor Book
For: Emily Carr:At the Edge of the World
With: Maxwell Newhouse

1998 Tiny Torgi Award
Category: Best Print-Braille Book of the Year
For: Jeremiah Learns to Read
With: Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson

1998 Ruth Schwartz Award
For: Jeremiah Learns to Read
With: Laura Fernandez and Rick Jacobson
Other Memberships
CANSCAIP and Writers Union of Canada (TWUC)
    

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