Denise Fleming - Click to see all titles by this author.
Denise Fleming grew up in Toledo, Ohio, in a neighborhood where the kids played games, organized circuses and plays, and rode bikes. Her father fostered her interest in the arts by allowing her to create things out of wood, clay, and papier-mâché in his furniture workshop. She majored in illustration at Kendall College of Art and Design.
Denise has written and illustrated numerous celebrated books, and has received a Caldecott Honor and a Society of Illustrators Silver Medal. Her books are on many state award lists and other children’s book lists, and have been reviewed by prestigious reviewing agencies and magazines.
Denise is known for her pulp painting art technique, monoprint, foam printing, and collage art. She makes her own paper by mixing recycled cotton rag fibers and pigments in large buckets of water. Then, she layers oil pastels and hand-cut stencils, and finally embeds additives such as coffee grounds, oats, and netting from bags of potatoes on the pulp paper. Her unique method creates beautifully textured illustrations filled with natural and richly hued tones.
Denise says, “I hope children and adults take a closer look at the natural world and develop a sense of stewardship, and that they appreciate that every creature has a place in the world. Beyond that, we need to help one another to achieve our goals. Various skills and knowledge are needed to build a working planet.”