Kelly Starling Lyons
Kelly Starling Lyons began her journey to become a children's book author in her hometown of Pittsburgh. She learned the art of storytelling from her mom who took her to productions at a children's playhouse, wrote Christian plays, and made up bedtime tales. Her grandparents, who showed their imagination through cooking and gardening, taught her to honor the magic of history and home. Surrounded by creativity, Ms. Lyons began to write.
She curled up near the radiator behind her bedroom door and allowed her pen to take her to other worlds. A canopy of trees transformed into a make-believe fortress, backyards hid treasure and tunnels to faraway lands, bridges that crossed the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio rivers spanned distance and time.
Now a children's book author, Ms. Lyons works to transform moments, memories and history into stories of discovery. Her books include a chapter book, NEATE: Eddie's Ordeal (Just Us Books), and One Million Men and Me (Just Us Books), a picture book that explores the Million Man March through the eyes of a girl who was there with her daddy the day black men made history. She has two picture books with G. P. Putnam's Sons that celebrate family relationships and freedom. Ellen's Broom is illustrated by Daniel Minter. Tea Cakes for Tosh will be released fall 2012 and is illustrated by E. B. Lewis.
