Ashley Spires

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Ashley Spires
Born1977/1978 (age 42–43)[1]
Tsawwassen, British Columbia
Canada
EducationEmily Carr University of Art and Design
Sheridan College
OccupationChildren's book author and illustrator

Ashley Spires is a Canadian children's book author and illustrator. She is the creator of the Binky the Space Cat graphic novels series and the 2014 bestseller, The Most Magnificent Thing.

Biography[]

Spires was born and raised in Tsawwassen, British Columbia.[2] She studied photography at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she was inspired to pursue illustration after taking a class on book-making.[2]

After graduation, she earned a contract with Lobster Press, for which she illustrated Peter Kuitenbrouwer's 2004 book, Our Song: The Story of O Canada, the Canadian National Anthem. [2] She later attended a postgraduate illustration program at Ontario's Sheridan College.[2][3]

Spires is the author and illustrator of the Binky the Space Cat graphic novel series, about a cat who believes his house is a space station.[2][4] The first book in the series, Binky the Space Cat, won the 2011 Silver Birch Express Award, presented by the Ontario Library Association.[5] On September 7, 2019, a TV series based on the series, called Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, premiered on Treehouse TV.[4]

Spires's 2014 book, The Most Magnificent Thing, earned a starred review from Kirkus[6] and was listed among the ALA Notable Books for Children 2015.[7] It has sold over 500,000 copies[4] and been translated into multiple languages.[3] The book was adapted into a 22-minute animated short film directed by Arna Selznick, featuring narration by Whoopi Goldberg and voice acting by Lilly Bartlam and Alison Pill.[8] It aired on Canadian children's channel YTV in 2019[8] and was shown at a number of film festivals, including the 2019 San Diego International Film Festival[9] and the 2019 Chicago International Children's Film Festival.[10]

Selected works[]

As author and illustrator:

  • Binky the Space Cat (2009)[11] ISBN 978-1-55453-419-7
  • Binky to the Rescue (2010) ISBN 978-1554535972
  • Binky Under Pressure (2011) ISBN 978-1554537679
  • Small Saul (2011)[12] ISBN 978-1-55453-503-3
  • Binky Takes Charge (2012) ISBN 978-1554537686
  • Larf (2012) ISBN 978-1554537013
  • Binky License to Scratch (2013)[13]
  • Edie's Ensembles (2014) ISBN 978-1-77049- 490-9
  • The Most Magnificent Thing (2014) ISBN 978-1554537044
  • Gordon: Bark To The Future! (2016)
  • Fluffy Strikes Back (2016)[14] ISBN 978-1-77138-127-7
  • Over-scheduled Andrew (2017) ISBN 978-1770494848
  • The Thing Lou Couldn't Do (2017)[15] ISBN 978-1771387279
  • Fairy Science (2019) ISBN 9780525581390

As illustrator only:

  • The Red Shoes, by [16] (2008) ISBN 978-1894965781
  • Ella's Umbrellas, by [16] (2010) ISBN 978-1-89747-623-9
  • Spare Dog Parts, by Alison Hughes (2016) ISBN 978-1459807044

References[]

  1. ^ Szklarski, Cassandra (2019-09-06). "BC children's author builds Magnificent career". The Times Colonist. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e Hanson, Cheryl (March 2012). "An artist's growing menagerie". Quill & Quire. 78 (2): 18–20.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b "Creativity and Perseverance". Ovation, Sheridan's Alumni Magazine. 2019-09-10. Retrieved 2020-02-03.
  4. ^ Jump up to: a b c Jacques, Ian (2019-09-06). "South Delta author Ashley Spires excited to see work on small screen". Delta Optimist. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  5. ^ "Ashley Spires". CBC Books. 2018-06-27. Retrieved 2020-01-28.
  6. ^ "The Most Magnificent Thing". Kirkus Reviews. 2014-02-26. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  7. ^ "2015 Notable Children's Books". Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). 2015-12-15. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b Szklarski, Cassandra (2019-10-08). "Children's book 'Most Magnificent Thing' jumps to the screen with short film". CityNews. Retrieved 2020-01-27.
  9. ^ "San Diego International Film Festival Announces 2019 Films & Honorees | San Diego International Film Festival". 2019-09-05. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  10. ^ "Ainslie Henderson's 'Archie' wins Best of Fest at the 2019 Chicago Children's International Film Festival | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising". | Reel Chicago - Midwest film, audio, production, TV, and advertising. 2019-11-11. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  11. ^ "Binky the Space Cat". Quill and Quire. 2009-10-16. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  12. ^ de Mariaffi, Elisabeth (2011-03-28). "Small Saul". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  13. ^ Spires, Ashley, 1978- (September 2013). Binky : license to scratch. Li, Karen,, Ucar, Yasemin. Toronto, ON. ISBN 978-1-55453-963-5. OCLC 825160809.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  14. ^ Ozirny, Shannon (2016-03-29). "Fluffy Strikes Back (A P.U.R.S.T. Adventure)". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  15. ^ Cotter, Charis (2017-03-09). "The Thing Lou Couldn't Do". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2020-01-29.
  16. ^ Jump up to: a b Robertson, Becky (2015-06-18). "Non-payment not the only allegation against Simply Read books". Quill and Quire. Retrieved 2020-01-29.

External links[]

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