Donivee Martin Laird grew
up in Hawaii, the daughter of a sugar plantation manager, where
she lived on each of Hawaii's major islands. She also lived for
several years on a plantation in Puerto Rico. Laird has also been
an elementary teacher at an independent school in Honolulu.
She began writing children's stories in 1980 in order to supply
the literature component of a unit on Hawaii she was teaching to
preschoolers. In 1981 Laird and printmaker Carol Ann Johnson formed
their own publishing company, Barnaby Books, and launched their
first book, “The Three Little Hawaiian Pigs and the Magic
Shark ”. More titles followed; today there are over 200,
000 copies of their books in print. The books are regularly displayed
at the American Library Association and American Booksellers Association
conventions. In 1997 the Houghton Mifflin company included “The
Three Little Pigs and the Magic Shark ” in both its English
and Spanish third grade anthologies.
Laird is frequently asked to speak or conduct workshops. Her topics
include writing for children as well as writing with children. She
enjoys storytelling and reading aloud. The mother of two children,
Laird enjoys spending time with both family and friends. She loves
animals and her hobbies/interests (besides writing) include reading,
cooking, storytelling, traveling, bicycling, and snow skiing. Laird’s
husband, an advertising agency principal, helps out with publishing
chores and joins her in her other pursuits.
|
|
|