Beverley Brenna is known for her warm, funny family stories that capture the essence of childhood and champion diversity. Her awards include an international Dolly Gray Award, a Printz Honor Book Award, and a shortlisting for the 2013 Governor General’s Award. Wild Orchid, the title book in a trilogy about a young woman on the Autism Spectrum, is currently listed on CBC’s “100 Young Adult Books That Make You Proud To Be Canadian”. Bev is a professor in Curriculum Studies at the College of Education, University of Saskatchewan, where she teaches English Language Arts subject matter to preservice and inservice teachers. Much of Bev’s writing seeks to fill in gaps in the field of available books, and she considers voices rarely heard in children’s literature. Bev’s many years as a classroom and special education teacher offer her a clear picture of school landscapes, children, and childhood, and the years she spent at home co-parenting three sons continue to inspire new characters and themes.
Taylor Crowe is an artist and lecturer on topics related to autism. He is a graduate of The California Institute of the Arts, where he majored in Character Animation. Taylor was diagnosed with autism after undergoing extreme behavioural changes and losing almost all of his language skills by age three. Years of therapy, along with the persistent involvement of family, friends and other individuals in and outside the school environment ultimately provided Taylor the communication skills and social skills he needed to successfully interact with others. Once discovered, his artistic capabilities and gifts were nurtured, not only as a source of enjoyment and fulfillment for Taylor, but as a strategy to further enhance his social capabilities. Taylor’s lectures cover topics such as his recommendations to teachers, therapists and families of individuals with autism as well as techniques for developing positive and meaningful relationships with neurotypical peers. Taylor also gives presentations on topics related to art, animation and giftedness in autism. His art is in collections throughout North America.
