About Me...
In previous chapters Marcie Colleen has been a teacher, an actress, and a nanny, but now she spends her days writing children’s books! She is the acclaimed author of THE SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS chapter book series, as well as picture books, LOVE, TRIANGLE, illustrated by Bob Shea, PENGUINAUT!, illustrated by Emma Yarlett, and THE BEAR'S GARDEN, illustrated by Alison Oliver. Her picture book, SURVIVOR TREE, illustrated by Caldecott Honor Winner Aaron Becker, celebrates the real-life story of a pear tree who survived the September 11th attacks and was named a 2022 ALA Notable Book. Marcie’s latest release, HAPPY FRIENDSGIVING: A Thanksgiving Celebration of Found Families has been called “a delightful, inclusive, modern-day depiction of holiday celebrations with a family of choice” (Kirkus) and “a heartfelt ode to the celebration of chosen family” (School Library Journal). Up next, she teams up with illustrator Chad Thomas for TOUGH FLUFF, a graphic novel chapter book series with Random House Graphic (debuting summer 2027). The series follows Ewenice, an ex-acrobat sheep with a mysterious past and superhero alter ego, Steel Wool, as she and her wannabe squirrel sidekick face off against a villainous, sleep-deprived duck. A former Epic! Originals Senior Writer/Editor, Marcie created comics and prose for their digital platform, including the KITTEN NINJA series, which has over 41 million reads! She lives with her husband and a beloved herd of stuffed animals in San Diego, California.
A "Lotsa Words" Bio
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Marcie Colleen is a former classroom teacher turned children’s book author.
She is the acclaimed author of the SUPER HAPPY PARTY BEARS chapter book series, as well as picture books including LOVE, TRIANGLE, illustrated by Bob Shea; PENGUINAUT!, illustrated by Emma Yarlett; and THE BEAR'S GARDEN, illustrated by Alison Oliver. Her picture book SURVIVOR TREE, illustrated by Caldecott Honor Winner Aaron Becker, tells the real-life story of the pear tree that survived the September 11th attacks. It received four starred reviews—from Publishers Weekly, The Horn Book, Booklist, and Kirkus—and was named a 2022 ALA Notable Book, as well as appearing on multiple “Best of the Year” lists. Her latest release, HAPPY FRIENDSGIVING: A Thanksgiving Celebration of Found Families, has already garnered glowing reviews, with Kirkus praising it as “a delightful, inclusive, modern-day depiction of holiday celebrations with a family of choice” and School Library Journal hailing it as “a heartfelt ode to the celebration of chosen family.” Looking ahead, Marcie will debut a new graphic novel chapter book series with Random House Graphic. TOUGH FLUFF, illustrated by Chad Thomas, launches in summer 2027 and follows Ewenice, an ex-acrobat sheep with a mysterious past and superhero alter ego called Steel Wool, and her wannabe squirrel sidekick as they face off against a villainous, sleep-deprived duck. Marcie’s earlier books have also enjoyed significant recognition: in 2018, LOVE, TRIANGLE was named a Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Book, while PENGUINAUT! was chosen as One Book Colorado for 2019, leading to 75,000 copies being distributed to every four-year-old in the state. THE BEAR’S GARDEN was praised by Kirkus as “a well-illustrated, beautifully written tale of encouragement” and earned a starred review. In addition to her writing, Marcie is an expert in creating highly acclaimed Teacher’s Guides that align picture books and middle grade novels with Common Core and state standards. Her guides and educational resources have been spotlighted by School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, and the Children’s Book Council. She frequently presents at SCBWI conferences and teaches at The Writing Barn and the University of California San Diego Extension. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Education of English and Language Arts from Oswego State University and a master’s degree in Educational Theater from New York University. A former Senior Writer/Editor for Epic! Originals, Marcie was the lead writer on comics and prose for their digital platform, including the KITTEN NINJA series, which has over 41 million reads. Although she will always be a Brooklynite at heart, Marcie now lives in San Diego, California, with her husband—artist Jonathan Lopes—and their mischievous sock monkey. |
photo by Roxyanne Young
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