Alexis York Lumbard is a busy mother and a gifted author of children’s books. Her newest book for World Wisdom (through the Wisdom Tales imprint) is Pine and the Winter Sparrow, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal. Previously, Ms. Lumbard wrote the award-winning Angels, a small, but very poetical and colorful book for small children. The text of Angels is complemented by the immediately recognizable work of illustrator and artist Flavia Weedn. Alexis York Lumbard’s first book, the award-winning The Conference of the Birds (also a Wisdom Tales book), retells an ancient classic in a poetic way that is accessible to children. The art found throughout the book comes from the well-known illustrator, Demi.

Having noticed a lamentable absence of high quality books for the earliest of readers, she began writing her own stories since becoming a mother in 2005. With a B.A. in Religious Studies from George Washington University as well as years living abroad in other cultures, the goal of her work is to bring the wisdom and beauty of the world’s religious traditions to the eager and gifted minds of young children.

About her life and writing Alexis York Lumbard has written:

“I was born in 1981 on a military base in North Carolina.… My father served in the U.S. Marine Corps for most of my childhood. Like many military families, we moved around frequently. Of all the places we lived in those early years, my fondest memories are of Whidbey Island, Washington. I remember riding the bumpy ferry to and from Seattle and watching with great wonder the many birds taking flight. Little did I know that my very first children’s book, The Conference of the Birds, would involve these feathered friends!…:

“Even when I am not writing there is always something swirling about my mind. I think about stories while playing with my children. I think about stories while washing the dishes. But most of all, I think about stories while reading great books. If I had to choose one author whom I admire the most, I would choose Leo Lionni. I especially love Frederick, the poet mouse with a philosophical nature. Children are little people capable of asking, and reflecting upon, very big ideas.”

The quotes above are taken from a longer piece on her life and work, which can be found on Alexis York Lumbard’s author page on the Wisdom Tales Press web site.

Alexis, her husband, and three children live in Massachusetts.