Colleen Paeff

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Colleen Paeff

Goodreads Author


Born
October 30

Website

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Member Since
August 2010

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Colleen Paeff is the award-winning author of The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem. A lifelong Californian, she received a Bachelor’s Degree in set design for theater from California State University Fullerton, before becoming a bookseller, preschool teacher, and newspaper columnist. (She never did become a set designer!) Eventually, she figured out how to roll books, kids, and writing into a career as a children’s book author, and now she gets to share her enthusiasm for books and learning by visiting with students both at home and abroad. Colleen is a Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient and winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Young Readers. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husb ...more

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Colleen Paeff If I'm having trouble writing I switch over to learning. I read books, watch webinars, listen to podcast interviews and eventually the writing comes b…moreIf I'm having trouble writing I switch over to learning. I read books, watch webinars, listen to podcast interviews and eventually the writing comes back.(less)
Average rating: 4.37 · 1,145 ratings · 297 reviews · 4 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Great Stink: How Joseph...

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4.34 avg rating — 925 ratings — published 2021 — 6 editions
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Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson...

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4.44 avg rating — 180 ratings — published 2025 — 4 editions
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Pufflings Fly Free!: A Resc...

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4.77 avg rating — 39 ratings4 editions
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Rainbow Truck

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2023 — 2 editions
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

From Idea to Book: Writing a Picture Book About Rescuing Puffins in Iceland’s Westman Islands

I often find ideas for books in something I’m reading or someplace I’m visiting, but every once in a while, an idea is gifted to me by a friend. That’s what happened on March 28, 2023, when I received an email from my friend, and fellow author, Caroline Hatton, with a subject line that read, “Your next PB?”  The email linked to this article:

screenshot of title of Smithsonian article called

If you click on the screenshot and read the article,

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Published on April 13, 2026 15:39

Colleen’s Recent Updates

Colleen rated a book it was amazing
Make Believe by Mac Barnett
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The Ocean's Heart by Jilanne Hoffmann
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Gorgeous illustrations, poetic text, and I learned something too!

This is the kind of book you’ll want to read slowly, so you can take in each perfectly placed word and every inch of the luminous illustrations. Books for children tend to focus on the
...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
Meadows of the Sea by Michelle Schaub
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I learned so much from reading this information-packed picture book! I had never considered the difference between kelp and sea grass and didn't know about how many thousands of fish and millions of small invertebrates seagrass meadows support. And t ...more
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At the Window by Hope Lim
At the Window
by Hope Lim (Goodreads Author)
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I am in love with the beautifully rendered story of how even the most seemingly inconsequential relationships can create lasting change. AT THE WINDOW is one of those books the makes you feel cozy and warm from cover to cover -- and the illustrations ...more
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Fortune Cookies for Everyone! (Smithsonian) by Mia Wenjen
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Fortune Cookies for Everyone! delves into the mysterious origins of the fortune cookie. And there really is a mystery! The story is told by a fictional grandmother who's childhood friend's family owned the real bakery where the first fortune cookies ...more
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For Always Friends by Tootie Nienow
For Always Friends
by Tootie Nienow (Goodreads Author)
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A sweet story about making and keeping friends that will resonate with anyone who's ever found, and temporarily lost, a "for always" friend. Illustrations with a touch of magical realism are a perfect match for the story's poetic text. Even the young ...more
Colleen entered a giveaway
HeartLand by Jilanne Hoffmann
HeartLand
by Jilanne Hoffmann (Goodreads Author)
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Lucas and the Capoeira Circle by Joana Pastro
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I enjoyed this sweet story of bravery and family love that shines a light on a part of Brazilian culture I'd never heard of before. While teachers and parents will appreciate the educational value of "Lucas and the Capoeira Circle" (social emotional ...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
Flamingos Are Pretty Funky by Abi Cushman
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A follow-up to Cushman's "Wombats are Pretty Weird" (which I loved!), this latest "not so" serious guide is seriously full of fascinating information about flamingos. I was happy to see that the book features the same wise-cracking snake from "Wombat ...more
" Hello! I tried editing the page for my upcoming book Rainbow Truck, but I still see the old release date. (It's been delayed by several years.) The co ...more "
More of Colleen's books…
“Writing is a miserable, awful business. Stay with it. It is better than anything in the world”
Ann Patchett, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

“It makes you wonder. All the brilliant things we might have done with our lives if only we suspected we knew how.”
Ann Patchett, Bel Canto

E.L. Doctorow
“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
E.L. Doctorow, Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews, 2nd Series

220 Goodreads Librarians Group — 331447 members — last activity 1 minute ago
Goodreads Librarians are volunteers who help ensure the accuracy of information about books and authors in the Goodreads' catalog. The Goodreads Libra ...more
25x33 One Thousand Picture Books — 32 members — last activity Jan 25, 2016 12:14PM
We're here to cheer each other on in an attempt to read 1,000 picture books before 2016 ends. If you'd like to set a smaller goal for yourself that's ...more
16993 Mock Caldecott 2027 — 1586 members — last activity 20 hours, 22 min ago
A discussion group that reads, suggests, and enjoys current children’s literature, while searching for next years Caldecott Award winning books.
16663 Mock Newbery 2027 — 3186 members — last activity 5 hours, 50 min ago
A discussion group that reads, suggests, and enjoys current children’s literature, while searching for next years Newbery Award winning books.
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