
Marie Prins writes across the genres. Her middle-grade, time travel novel The Girl From the Attic was published in 2020. Her memoir pieces and children’s short stories appear in the Hill Spirit Anthologies II-VI. Who’s Walking Dawg? (Red Deer Press) is her debut picture book.
For the past 25 years, she has tutored remedial reading in her private practice, The Reading Room. Marie lives in an historical house near Lake Ontario in Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada. When she’s not writing, she and her husband love hanging out with their grandkids, working in their gardens, and relaxing under the big umbrella by their pond. Visit Marie's website to learn more about her and her work, or follow her on Instagram at @Marie.Prins
1. How did you begin your journey as an author?
In the summer of 2008, on the suggestion of a friend, I signed up for a memoir writing course and discovered that I loved writing about events in my childhood and also in my own children’s lives. Living in the country, I quickly branched out into nature writing. A few years later I took a children’s writing course in order to craft stories for my remedial reading program. The last assignment was to write the first chapter of a fantasy story. Ten years later, and countless rewrites, my mid-grade novel The Girl From the Attic was published.
2. When did you first realize you wanted to write for young readers?
Honestly, it just grew on me after I took the children’s writing course. Since my mother taught me to read when I was five, my life has centered on books. I have a BA in English literature. I’ve managed bookstores, and now I teach children to read. While writing my time-travel novel, other story ideas crept into my head, simpler stories, perhaps picture book stories. I thought they’d be easier to write than a 40,000 word novel. In the archives of my computer rest a dozen of those stories. A few of them were submitted to publishers. All were rejected. So, in 2020, I joined the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge to tackle this craft. My debut picture book Who’s Walking Dawg? was accepted for publication in Spring 2022.
3. To what extent is your writing inspired by your own experience?
All my stories spring out of my own experience or contain elements that reflect it. Many come out of my interactions with nature and the wonder it inspires, which I want to share with children. Lately I’ve been fascinated with turtles. Birds always capture my attention. If I add one to a story, its details and actions will look like those I watch and listen to outdoors.

4. Where did you get the idea for this book? What was your inspiration?
One of my critique partners commented that my submissions sounded like short stories. She suggested I cut word count and descriptions and make room for the illustrator. Taking up this challenge, I playfully zeroed in on my rascally dog who loved to sneak out of the yard for a trot down the street. Where would he go? What would he do? In my head I imagined his adventure to the park. Then I wondered who his family might be and why they wouldn’t take him for his daily walk. As I answered these questions, in part, from my own experiences, I fairly quickly pulled together the first draft for Dawg.
5. If you read this book to a room filled with kids, what message would you want them to leave with?
Many kids have pets. A lot live with dogs. From time to time, all kids resist looking after their pets. (Adults too!) So I believe they will relate to not wanting to walk their dog (or feed their cat, or clean the hamster cage). But even when kids neglect their pets, they still love them and don’t want harm to befall them. Being a picture book, nothing bad happens to Dawg, but the family’s resistance to looking after him doesn’t really change. Chores after all are chores. No one likes them. But in Who’s Walking Dawg?, the last wordless spread reaffirms that everyone’s needs are met, including Dawg’s. Somehow. When reading his story, kids and adults will have a good discussion about how their pets are loved and looked after.
6. What was the process or timeline for this book, from idea to publishing?
I wrote the first draft of Dawg in early 2020. It went through three rounds with my critique partners and countless revisions. The idea for its wordless spread ending came from a mentor text suggested by a very knowledgeable picture book writer. When I felt it was ready for submission, I sent it to a few Canadian publishers in mid-2021. Silence. But in early 2022, the new editor at Red Deer Press was open for submissions. She wanted to see only the story sent in the mail. No cover letter. In May, she emailed asking if it was still available. I signed the contract by the end of August. Its illustrator, Leanne Franson, began work on it in 2023. There have been a few delays for different reasons, one very recently that has pushed its release date to November. I can’t wait to see Dawg’s story sitting on my kitchen table, next to my computer where he was conceived.
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