Colleen Paeff – författare

Discover the true story about the determined engineer who fixed London’s pollution problem in this funny, accessible nonfiction picture book featuring engaging art from the illustrator of Queen Victoria’s Bathing Machine.It’s the summer of 1858, and London’s River Thames STINKS. What is creating this revolting smell? The answer is gross: the river is full of poop. But the smell isn’t the worst problem. Every few years, cholera breaks out, and thousands of people die. Could there be a connection between the foul water and the deadly disease? One engineer dreams of making London a cleaner, healthier place. His name is Joseph Bazalgette. His grand plan to create a new sewer system to clean the river is an engineering marvel. And his sewers will save lives. Nothing stinky about that. With tips for how to prevent pollution today, this fascinating look at science, history, and what one person can do to create change will impress and astound readers who want to help make their planet a cleaner, happier place to live.

From Sibert Honoree Colleen Paeff comes a quietly powerful picture book about one young girl’s courageous mission to save a baby puffin, or puffling, with the support of her community on the Icelandic Westman Islands, exploring themes of environmental conservation, animals, family traditions, and girls in science.While most of the world sleeps, Freya and her family embark on a late-night rescue mission like no other. On Iceland’s Westman Islands, families gather at midnight to save lost baby puffins, or pufflings, guiding them safely back to the sea. Freya has always dreamed of rescuing a puffling on her own, just like her older siblings. But every time she tries, the tiny birds slip through her fingers—beaks nip, claws scratch, and they escape. When one puffling tumbles into the deep clamshell bucket of an excavator, out of reach from everyone else, Freya is faced with a choice. With her family ready to head home, she must find the courage to climb in and save the little bird—all by herself. This fictional story is based on the Puffling Patrol, a real rescue that takes place every year on the Westman Islands of Iceland. Both the author and illustrator joined the Puffling Patrol and rescued birds themselves.

Take a ride through Pakistan in Rainbow Truck, an uplifting tale about a colorful truck that discovers all the wonderful things it can do. This strikingly illustrated picture book pays tribute to a favorite Pakistani tradition and art form.Rainbow Truck is eager to learn her purpose as she travels through the shifting landscapes of Pakistan. As she is transformed from a rusted and worn truck to a Technicolor work of art, Rainbow Truck wonders what her new job will be: Could it be to carry cargo? Perhaps she is meant to provide shelter?Along the road from Karachi to Lahore, Rainbow Truck exchanges tea bundles for warm wool, carries delicious treats, and meets new friends. But it isn’t until her journey’s end that she discovers that her most important job is bringing people together. Hina Abidi and Colleen Paeff’s lively story, brought to life in dazzling illustrations by Saffa Khan, is at once a tribute to Pakistan’s vibrant rainbow trucks, a popular form of folk art, and a celebration of the many ways we all take care of one another as we journey down the long roads and up the tall mountains of life.