About the Authors
Paula and Barbara are educators who together have over 50 years of experience in literacy and gifted education. Add a knack for storytelling and the skill of designing with fabric, and one can be assured a pleasing and meaningful story experience!
Paula Thoma
I was brought up near Syracuse, New York. As a child, I was shy. Much of my creativity was expressed through dramatic arts like singing and dancing. As an adult, I still express myself through singing and dancing, but now writing stories and poetry have become two of my favorite ways to communicate.
My passion for work has been the education of elementary-aged children. Since graduation from The State University of New York at Cortland, I have been working with young children and the older “children” who teach them. My roles include mother, teacher, literacy specialist, Reading Recovery teacher, elementary principal, staff developer, and now literacy coach for the classrooms who house wild and wonderful four-year-olds. These rewarding experiences have stimulated a love for learning and creativity.
My poetry and stories reflect feelings for people of interest and for those I love. Writing allows one to relive what is known, and to touch upon that is unknown. I hope you enjoy my stories. Please contact me for more information about a visit to your area. Share the magic!
paula@imaginationfabricationbooks.com
Barbara Florance
Children have always been a part of my life. As a mother of three, a grandmother of five and a teacher of too many to count, I have surrounded myself with the energy of the young.
My father was a fighter pilot in the Marine Corps and I've lived in thirty six homes. The travel broadened my experience and opened my eyes to the world. After graduating from The Ohio State University, I began 35 years of teaching students and adults. My various roles, as a classroom teacher, math and reading support teacher, as well as a gifted and talented teacher, have expanded my repertoire of teaching skills.
My passion for creating began as a young girl. At a young age, my mother taught me to sew, so sew I did: clothes, purses, placemats, table runners, quilts and even sports coats. I even won the Penn Hills Women's Club sewing contest. My experience as a color consultant has helped me to refine my eye for color. So the passion still grows. Now my love of those beautiful batiks have taken me on a journey of illustrating books with fabrics. What a wonderful learning experience this has been! I hope that you will enjoy the images of the fabric as much as I have.
barb@imaginationfabricationbooks.com
You can contact us anytime by e-mailing sales@imaginationfabricationbooks.com