Ashley Spires
Canadian children's book author and illustrator
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Ashley Spires is a Canadian children's book author and illustrator. She is the creator of the Binky the Space Cat graphic novels series and the 2014 bestseller, The Most Magnificent Thing.
Canada
Ashley Spires | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1977 or 1978 (age 47–48)[1] Tsawwassen, British Columbia Canada |
| Education | Emily Carr University of Art and Design Sheridan College |
| Occupations | Children's book author and illustrator |
Biography
Spires was born and raised in Tsawwassen, British Columbia.[2] She studied photography at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design, where she was inspired to pursue illustration after taking a class on book-making.[2]
After graduation, she earned a contract with Lobster Press, for which she illustrated Peter Kuitenbrouwer's 2004 book, Our Song: The Story of O Canada, the Canadian National Anthem.[2] She later attended a postgraduate illustration program at Ontario's Sheridan College.[2][3]
Spires is the author and illustrator of the Binky the Space Cat graphic novel series, about a cat who believes his house is a space station.[2][4] The first book in the series, Binky the Space Cat, won the 2011 Silver Birch Express Award, presented by the Ontario Library Association.[5] On September 7, 2019, a TV series based on the series, called Agent Binky: Pets of the Universe, premiered on Treehouse TV.[4]
Spires's 2014 book, The Most Magnificent Thing, earned a starred review from Kirkus[6] and was listed among the ALA Notable Books for Children 2015.[7] It has sold over 500,000 copies[4] and been translated into multiple languages.[3] The book was adapted into a 22-minute animated short film directed by Arna Selznick, featuring narration by Whoopi Goldberg and voice acting by Lilly Bartlam and Alison Pill.[8] It aired on Canadian children's channel YTV in 2019[8] and was shown at a number of film festivals, including the 2019 San Diego International Film Festival[9] and the 2019 Chicago International Children's Film Festival.[10]
Selected works
As author and illustrator:
- Binky the Space Cat (2009)[11] ISBN 978-1-55453-419-7
- Binky to the Rescue (2010) ISBN 978-1554535972
- Binky Under Pressure (2011) ISBN 978-1554537679
- Small Saul (2011)[12] ISBN 978-1-55453-503-3
- Binky Takes Charge (2012) ISBN 978-1554537686
- Larf (2012) ISBN 978-1554537013
- Binky License to Scratch (2013)[13]
- Edie's Ensembles (2014) ISBN 978-1-77049- 490-9
- The Most Magnificent Thing (2014) ISBN 978-1554537044
- Gordon: Bark To The Future! (2016)
- Fluffy Strikes Back (2016)[14] ISBN 978-1-77138-127-7
- Over-scheduled Andrew (2017) ISBN 978-1770494848
- The Thing Lou Couldn't Do (2017)[15] ISBN 978-1771387279
- Fairy Science (2019) ISBN 9780525581390
As illustrator only:
- The Red Shoes, by Eleri Glass[16] (2008) ISBN 978-1894965781
- Ella's Umbrellas, by Jennifer Lloyd[16] (2010) ISBN 978-1-89747-623-9
- Spare Dog Parts, by Alison Hughes (2016) ISBN 978-1459807044
