Jessie Hionis, long-time teacher, full-time author and creator of The Calm and Cool Coloring Series, The Best Activity Book Ever Series, The Treasure Chest Collection and Books with Heart. Having worked with children for 37 years, Jessie learned firsthand that kids happily adhere to learning while doing fun and entertaining activities. She therefore aims to charm, captivate and cultivate children while discreetly integrating learning into each of her publications.Jessie Hionis loved nursery rhymes as a child. Something fascinated her about their rhythm, and she found herself singing them again and again until her older sisters would beg her to stop. Jessie's mom had a knack for rhyming words, and she managed to turn everyday events into entertaining, rhythmic, and rhyming songs. Jessie remembers mom's spontaneously invented lullabies and songs that turned everyday events at home, into beautiful melodies.It's no wonder that words and the play of utterances fascinated Jessie. She started writing stories at 12 years old, and of course, they were mostly rhyming stories. While studying to be a teacher, Jessie learned of the importance of rhyme. Verse helps children to develop phonemic awareness, pronunciation, articulation, aids in reading and in the understanding of concepts. Knowing that literacy skills are strengthened through rhyme validated Jessie's passion for words and rhythm. She then intentionally used her rhyming words to teach, while she entertained elementary school students for 37 years. She has actively trained a plethora of aspiring and new teachers and was a pedagogical and literary consultant throughout her long-lived and much-loved career in education.Jessie Hionis has authored several learning materials published by Chenelière Education of Montreal, Quebec, which are used in schools today. Since retiring from her career in teaching, she has decided to fully invest in her long-term passion, the creation and publication of children's stories, books, coloring books and activity books for kids, young and not so young. Jessie loves to travel and lives just outside Montreal, Canada with her husband Chris, who often acts as the audience for her stories, since she retired from the classroom.Jessie's stories are tested and true-to life. Mostly inspired by situations arising in her students' lives during her teaching career, Jessie's stories entertain while discreetly providing valuable tools for children, parents, and teachers to help deal with challenging situations that are simply part of life. Jessie writes for anyone who has a soft spot for delightful, heart-warming stories that are sure to entertain the young, as well as the not so young.Jessie's stories are weaved to inspire young minds, captivate children, parents, and teachers alike. They aim to provide strength, perseverance, understanding and acceptance to children and their families.
