Sherry Shahan

Sherry Shahan has authored over 30 children's books. She is also a seasoned world traveler and adventurer. As a photojournalist, Ms. Shahan has ridden horseback in Africa's Masailand, hiked a leech-infested rain forest in Australia, and ridden in a dogsled for the first part of the famed Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race. A serious dance student, she has traveled to Cuba to study Latin-African styles of movement. When not on an exciting assignment, Ms. Shahan frequently visits schools and libraries around the country.

Her first August House work, Spicy Hot Colors explodes off the page to introduce young readers to colors in Spanish, employing similes rooted in the Latin American culture. Kirkus praised the picture book in their review, "Successful both as an introduction to Latin American culture for children unfamiliar with it and as a celebration for those who call it their own." Her award winning picture book was also animated and appeared on the popular PBS series, “Between the Lions” produced by WGBH.

Following the success of Spicy Hot Colors, she once again collaborated with Paula Barrigan to create Cool Cats Counting, a picture book that bursts off the page with vibrant colors and rhythm to introduce young readers to animals and numbers in both English and Spanish. Then she published her third LittleFolk picture book with Paula, Fiesta, using the same rich visual style to celebrate Latin American holidays.

Shahan is also a popular speaker and has been featured at professional conferences, such as California Reading Assn., California School Library Assn., California Teachers of English, and has taught workshops in writing for children at Palm Springs Writers Conference, Cuesta College Writers Conference, WIN-WIN Writer's Conference, California Writers Club, Society of Children Book Writers and Illustrators among others.