PRIZES to win! PROMOTIONS
ARNOLDA DUFOUR BOWES is a Saskatchewan Métis writer, artist, emerging playwright and screenwriter with ties to Sakitawak (Île à la Crosse) and George Gordon First Nation. Always seeking adventure, she has lived around the world, from New Zealand to Saudi Arabia, and has competed in various sports. Arnolda won second place in the Oilsands Classic Strongwoman Competition in Fort McMurray in 2025. She is the author of 20.12 m: A Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Métis, which won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the High Plains Book Award. She is the mother of three amazing adult children and lives in Saskatoon. KARLENE HARVEY (she/they) is an illustrator and writer who lives on the unceded and ancestral home territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh people. Karlene is Tšilhqot’in and Syilx and grew up on territories of the Semiahmoo and Kwantlen Nations. They have illustrated several children’s books, including Maggie Lou, Firefox by Arnolda Dufour Bowes, Drum From the Heart by Ren Louie, Every Child Matters by Phyllis Webstad and Kaiah’s Garden by Melanie Florence.
"A funny, lovingly crafted book, with a rich cast of characters that is enhanced by artist Karlene Harvey's comic-like illustrations ... The humour in Maggie Lou, Firefox will pull young readers in, and the warm heart of the stories will keep them reading. STARRED REVIEW -- ""Quill & Quire"" Students will enjoy reading about Maggie's adventures. -- ""Children's Literature Comprehensive Database"" What a gem of a book! What I love most is the way Indigenous life is portrayed as just a normal way of being. Nothing tragic or stoic, it is just a large family with lots of love and mayhem. -- ""Canadian Children's Book News"" Funny, upbeat ... Maggie Lou approaches life with a can-do attitude, confidence, and a helping of sass. -- ""Shelf Awareness"" Maggie Lou's connection to her immediate and extended family, her awareness of her Native roots and the Northern Michif language ... and her interests, which are not constrained by gender norms, give these tales a distinctive and refreshing flavor. -- ""Horn Book"" Maggie Lou is ... absolutely unstoppable. -- ""Globe and Mail"" Maggie is irrepressible, brimming with ideas, energy and ambition ... Many young readers will chuckle with her exploits and see Maggie as a role model. -- ""Winnipeg Free Press"" An amusing story showcasing M�tis humor at its finest. STARRED REVEIW -- ""Kirkus"""
