• Age: 4 to 18
• Grade: p to 12

Louie and Susan are excited about spending their first Passover in their mountain home. But without the right foods, they need to cook up a little Seder magic.

Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Kathleen's primary rural experiences in her childhood were family fishing trips and long evening walks with her dad and their dog on the golf course. After graduating from high school, she completed three years of university, including one year in Madrid, Spain.

Her first full-time rural experience came after she married Mark Waldron. They spent their first year together working for VISTA (Volunteers in Service to America) in the Napa Valley in California helping a group of eighteen families get set up to build their own homes. She and Mark then moved back to Colorado to complete their degrees (BA for Mark, MA for Kathleen) and begin their family.

In the spring of 1975, they set off with their one-year-old son Levi to begin building their own log home off the grid in central British Columbia. They immigrated to Canada the following year, welcomed their daughter Rosy the year after that, and have lived in the Cariboo ever since. They still make frequent city trips where Kathleen enjoys visits to concerts, plays, museums, professional sporting events, and her otherwise all-urban family. Her rural pleasures include swimming in mountain lakes, canoeing, cycling, cross-country skiing, and hiking. The Waldrons became dual Canadian/US citizens in 1991.

Kathleen's work experience includes being a swimming instructor, playground supervisor, lifeguard, waitress, chambermaid, tree planter, house painter, teacher (kindergarten-adult), and of course, writer.

Kathleen Cook Waldron's profile page

Leslie Gould's profile page

"A Wilderness Passover is an excellent tool for teaching all children about the Jewish tradition of Passover. This touching story is about a family who leaves the city to live in the mountains."
Recommended"
— CM Magazine

"A Wilderness Passover is another example of a felicitous melding of illustrations and text. . . The Passover depicted is relaxed, joyous, and inventive."
— Books in Canada

"It is a sensitively written story about resourceful children and the importance of family and friends. . . There are many informational books about Passover, but few incorporate a story, and not one Canadian book comes easily to mind. With its informative after word, the book is a good vehicle for introducing Passover to non-Jewish children, while a Jewish audience will identify with the holiday preparations."
— Quill & Quire

"Realistically and sensitively written and illustrated with a keen eye to natural detail, A Wilderness Passover reflects a modern, communal interpretation of Elijah's ghostly seder visit. It's a superb, all Canadian addition to Pesach Kid Lit. Hip, hip, hurray!"
— Ottawa Jewish Bulletin

"I found A Wilderness Passover to be not only a fun and inspiring story of faith and cooperation, but also educational. The Passover Seder is beautifully described in words and pictures that enhance and bring to life the sacred memorial of the annual ritual dinner."
— Christian Library Journal

"A Wilderness Passover is a cheerful yet touching picture book. . .In addition to the appealing story, the book is a great tool for teaching children about this Jewish tradition. Leslie Gould's softly colorful illustrations add warmth to a charming book."
— The Hamilton Spectator