"In his life he made seven chairs. The first chair, made when he was a boy, was a small three-legged stool. It wobbled. When it was done he put it in front of the hearth fire. It became the property of the calico cat." - The Seven Chairs So begins the simple and moving story of a chairmaker and the many lives he touched with his work. Helen Lanteigne's spare and evocative prose has the timeless quality of a classic story. Through her carefully chosen words, she allows each of the seven chairs to take on a life of it's own, and what we see is limited only by our own imaginations. Maryann Kovalski's exquisite illustrations are the perfect complement to this remarkable story. Through her meticulous research and imaginative execution of the art, she is able to offer an additional and integral piece of the puzzle.

MARYANN KOVALSKI has written and illustrated over 25 books, including Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut, The Seven Chairs, and The Wheels on the Bus. She lives with her husband, two children, and their dog in Toronto, Ontario.

Helen Lanteigne's profile page

In her latest book with Orca,Queen Nadine, Maryann Kovalski has once again blended the unique voice and warm-and-bouncy artwork that has made her a favorite across the country. She has illustrated over twenty titles, six of which she also wrote. Her touching Brenda and Edward has become a Canadian classic and her illustrations for The Big Storm by Rhea Tregebov earned her a Governer General's Award nomination. Best-selling collaborations include Mable Murple with Sheree Fitch and Princess Prunella and the Purple Peanut with Margeret Atwood.

Maryann Kovalski's profile page