Yolanda Ridge
Yolanda Ridge is the author of fiction and nonfiction books for young readers, including Evolution Under Pressure: How We Change Nature and How Nature Changes Us, CRISPR: A Powerful Way to Change DNA and Elliot Jelly-Legs and the Bobblehead Miracle. She has a master of science degree and is adept at making complex concepts understandable, a skill she uses in her science writing and teaching. Yolanda lives in Rossland, British Columbia.
Interview
What was your favorite book when you were a child?
Are you there God? It’s me, Margaret by Judy Blume
What’s your favorite line from a book?
“When given the choice between being right or being kind choose kind.”—Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Who are your top three favorite authors or illustrators?
Melissa Stewart, Laura Purdie Salas, Eric Walters
Why did you want to become an author or illustrator?
I have always loved to read and write. But I didn’t know I wanted to be a children’s author until I started reading books with my twin sons. As toddlers, they only sat still when we read picture books together! We walked to the library twice a week and brought home piles of books. The words and verses would run through my head long after we finished reading until I finally started writing my own.
Do you have any advice for future authors or illustrators?
Write about topics that interest you! It takes a long time to produce a book so prepare to be fully immersed in the subject and be patient with the process. As long as you’re having fun, your future readers will have fun too.
