• Age: 5 to 8
• Grade: 2 to 5

Caroll Simpson taught Native art and drama to grade-school children for many years before buying a remote fishing lodge, called Ookpik Wilderness Lodge, in the northern interior of British Columbia. Located on Babine Lake, it is accessible only by boat in the summer months and by snowshoes during the winter.

Caroll spends the off-season writing and painting. She sees her work as a celebration of the legends and art of the First Nations of the Pacific Northwest. Her love for the art and history of the First Peoples of North America started when she was a young girl. She began studying Indian history and made her first moccasins at age 10, graduating to making leather clothing by the time she was 13. She still does leatherwork, and she has also made cradleboards for more than 30 years. Her love and respect for First Nations traditions is matched by her love for animals and nature.

Caroll Simpson's profile page

"What a brilliant way to breathe life back into our wounded culture! Prior to contact, our children were taught important life lessons through stories. Caroll has captured the essence of this through her beautifully illustrated books and her masterful ability to take the stories to the stage where she has young people lay the different characters. This is a crucial time for First Nations in terms of language retention and general cultural redemption. Caroll’s work is not only timely, it is vital." —Robert Charlie, (former) Chief, Burns Lake Band

"Without any hesitation I highly recommend Caroll Simpson for any Meet the Author or Young Authors program. Besides being one of the most creative people working with children I have met in thirty-one years of teaching, her topic is culturally significant. Living in the Pacific Northwest, we are always enriched by the variety of writers and artists who further our cultural understanding of those who were here before us. Her book, with its beautiful illustrations and decorative borders, is a storehouse of information and an excellent springboard for children’s writing." —Tracy Hagel, Third Grade teacher, Oak Harbor, WA

The First Mosquito