A once-small child related to Mary Beth Rossetti drew this hatted cat.
When I was a kid I used to write “books” on pastel novelty pads of paper shaped like peaches or animals. Usually the stories were not groundbreaking… about tiny fairies discovered in flowers, for instance. There were Martians with squid feet. Squirrel-based haiku. As an adult I’ve written a dozen books for publication—but only two are still in print. Or maybe just one. Don’t let the Karin Lee byline throw you… that’s my first and middle name. I use it when I need a name that sounds more mysterious than Snelson, which is more often than you’d think.
Zangadoo Kangaroo and the Mysterious Boomerang
by Karin Lee, illustrated by Scott Porterfield (Zangadoo Entertainment, 2012)
“This charming adventure brings the magic and excitement of the Australian Outback and its unique creatures to life! The sense of place, story, and characters are beautifully balanced. Fresh and fun.” –Tom Wilson, Internationally Syndicated Ziggy Cartoonist
The Halloween Tarot Deck and Book Set
by Karin Lee, illustrated by Kipling West (U.S. Games Systems, 2003)
“Author Karin Lee has written a wonderful introduction to this tarot, and to tarot in general. Her writing is incredibly friendly and instantly understandable. She offers a brief but comprehensive overview of the history of Halloween, and she gives us detailed meanings behind its symbols and customs through time and culture….” –Nellie Levine
I contributed a chapter called “Find a Good Book” to Julia DeVillers’ GirlWise: How to Be Confident, Capable, Cool, and In Control (Prima Publishing, 2002)
The Amazing Fortune-Telling Book
by Karin Lee, illustrated by Kipling West (Hyperion, 1997)
This activity book—playfully illustrated and lighthearted in tone—is packaged with a beautiful set of 22 animal fortunetelling cards designed by Kipling West. West has illustrated The Halloween Tarot Deck & Book Set, another collaboration with Karin Lee. The appendix contains more fortunetelling methods, from cromniomancy (fortunetelling with onions) to scarpomancy (learning about people by studying their old shoes). As the book introduction states, “Whether or not you can really see into the future, fortune-telling can be a fun way to look at who you are and where you're heading.”
A sample spread from The Superb Number 7. This is one of my favorite animal facts.
The Superb Number Seven: Amazing Facts About the Number Seven
by Karin Snelson, illustrated by Peter Georgeson (Andrews & McMeel, 1998)
I wrote seven children’s books (facts about the numbers four through ten) for Andrews & McMeel. In the words of the publisher: “No one loves a birthday more than a child. The Birthday Number Books capture a child’s thrill of becoming a year older by providing a customized book for boys and girls age one to ten. The content of each book explores things that relate to the title number. For example, the four-year-old’s birthday book explores facts about nature, science, history, the arts, and geography that relate to the number four, such as a four-leaf clover and the four-stage metamorphosis of a butterfly.”