About the Author:
Stephen Shapiro was born and raised in Toronto. As a child, he was an avid reader and his first favorite book (or so his parents tell him) was Jelly Belly by Dennis Lee. When he was a little older, Stephen began to read as much as possible about history. The first book he ever bought was a handbook on warships. His parents, after an initial period of shock, were supportive of this interest. They even allowed themselves to be dragged around to more forts, museums, and ships than they had ever wanted to see. Surprisingly, Stephen reads more children’s books today than he did when he was younger, no doubt because his mother is a children’s book designer.
Eventually, Stephen would like to write about history full time. Naval history is an area full of particularly exciting stories that Stephen would like to explore in the future … and it might even give him an excuse to learn how to sail.
Stephen Shapiro writes:
I think what\'s important is to find a good question and follow it, wherever it ends up leading. With history, that means a lot of research, but you can\'t be afraid to start writing either - sometimes you don\'t realize what you need to learn until you\'ve started putting it together. (was that about right, or something longer?)
Writing doesn\'t always come easily. It can be hard to find the words that say what you want them to say. As a historian, I do a lot of research whenever I write. That research is fun, because I love discovering things that no one else ever has; making new connections that no one ever made before. Writing, on the other hand, means taking all that research and trying to make it make sense to someone else. Like trying to boil down thousands of experiences into a few well-chosen words. Which is sort of scary.
But it\'s worth doing, because whatever you write - no matter what - is important.
What\'s written down becomes something that anyone can discover. As a historian, I rely on people who wrote without ever expecting
their words to be read hundreds of years later. But they are, and that\'s pretty cool. Some of the most important pieces of writing are bits and pieces that no one ever wanted to keep; that got thrown in the trash, or re-used, or recycled into stuffing for a mummy (a true story). You never know exactly where writing is going to end up, which is what makes it both so wonderful and so scary.
Other Books by Stephen Shapiro:
Battle Stations! Fortifications Through the Ages
Ultra Hush-hush: Espionage and Special Missions
Hoodwinked: Deception and Resistance
Contact Stephen Shapiro at:
1465 W. 7th Ave., Apt. A,
Columbus, Ohio,
43212, USA.
About the Illustrator:
John Mantha is a Toronto-based artist and illustrator.
When he was 11 years old, he had a serious illness that confined him to hospital for several months. While he was there, he started drawing to pass the time. After high school, he attended the Ontario College of Art in Toronto. He grew up in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario, and graduated with honors from the Ontario College of Art in 1984.
Once he designed three gold coins for the Royal Canadian Mint, one of which was chosen coin of the year. His paintings, done in oils, have been exhibited in galleries across Ontario. He freelances for Toronto television stations and newspapers as a courtroom artist.
Thus far, John has illustrated 21 books. He lives in Toronto with his wife, Leanne, daughter, Lauren, Charlotte the cat and Samantha the dog.
he writes:
I really enjoyed illustrating The Kids Book of Canada at War because of the interesting elements involved. The different costumes and uniforms worn and also the military weapons and tactics used. I enjoyed doing the chapter, the Grand Arsenal with the smoke from the cannons exploding across the page. I applied a wash of colour over the page and then removed the colour with a cloth or turpentine to reveal the white smoke. It is easy to do and creates a very dramatic effect.
I work in oils. I also use an oil wash. Oils dry slowly and allow you to blend colors on the actual painting. Acrylic paints dry quickly and all blending of colors must be done on the palette and then applied. I have tried computer illustration but it is too deliberate a process; by contrast, when you\'re painting in oils, sometimes your mistakes or accidental drips look really good even though they were not planned.
I sometimes have to use myself as a model if I don\'t have any other references. Also, Samantha, my dog, has been in numerous illustrations where a dog is required.
OTHER BOOKS OF INTEREST:
The Kids Book of Canadian Exploration
The Kids Book of Canada’s Railway
Crusades
Contact John Mantha at:
john.mantha@sympatico.ca
www.johnmantha.com
Please click here to download this year's poster.
