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Ellie's Portfolio
About Ellie
Ellie Peterson is the author and illustrator of multiple picture books, including the Washington State Award Winning Book HOW TO HUG A PUFFERFISH. Her work is inspired by 20 years as a science teacher and her experience growing up as a biracial army brat. You can find her making art in her backyard studio or exploring the beautiful Pacific Northwest, where she lives with her husband, two kids, and her dog Daisy. Look for her next book How to Crash a Kite (Norton Young Readers) in Spring 2027. Learn more at elliepetersonbooks.com.
Ellie is represented by Adria Goetz of KT Literary.
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Professional speaking
Ellie Peterson speaks on a range of topics related to writing and illustrating books for children, as well as the business of promoting books and visiting schools. She's served on the advisory committee of the Western Washinton SCBWI region for the past six years and is the Executive Director of the Bigfoot Kids' Book Festival.
Meet Your MC... Again
We all want our protagonist to evolve as the story progresses, but how do you know your main character's voice, actions, and appearance haven't drifted too far from their core? We'll discuss what makes a character compelling, the five things you must know about your character, and the two questions you should continually ask about them. We'll also explore ways to identify character inconsistency (in text and illustrations), arbitrary character development, and when a character has become a plot device.
Scenes Over Summaries
Ann Whitford Paul once wrote, "Too often authors don't write the most important scenes." And that's because they're hard! But scenes are also the best way to communicate conflict and tension in a story. In this session we'll learn how scenes advance the plot and reveal new information about our characters. We'll learn the difference between scenes and narrative summaries, and how to identify and remedy these sections of our stories. We'll also explore how the rhythm of a scene should change to maximize emotional impact.
Turn Up Your Page Turns
Thirty-two page picture books offer 16 splendid opportunities to build tension and anticipation...through page turns! We'll discuss the types of page turns that keep your reader asking, "What happens next?" and identify where these might occur in our own manuscripts. We'll also find out how the process of drawing storyboards (yes, even for authors!) can help you pace your story, chunk or break up text, and identify shifts in mood and expectations.
Awesome Author visits
A great session for those with debuts interested in offering author visits, those who just want to make their presentations more dynamic and fun, or authors who want to better understand the connection between school libraries and authors.
Attendees will learn the elements of a good author visit, nuts and bolts of booking and invoicing, and how to best work with librarians and teachers. We’ll finish up with time for Q&A.
Sandcastles are Forever
"Building friendships takes time and effort but it's fun and worth it. So is this book."
- Kirkus Review
School is Wherever I am
""[A] starting point for a conversation on the importance of learning, curiosity, and actively taking part in the world at all times"
- School Library Journal
starred review
How to Hug a Pufferfish
[A] gentle introduction to ideas of consent and boundaries." ―The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books