At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our authors as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Alexandra Finkeldey!
About the Author:
ALEXANDRA FINKELDEY is an illustrator based in Ottawa, Canada. Her art is focused on noticing and capturing the small, pleasant details of daily life, featuring organic subjects and natural textures, and she has illustrated several picture books, including When the Storks Came Home, Talala: The Curious Leopard Cub Who Joined a Lion Pride, Saving the Spotted Owl, and The Boy, the Cloud and the Very Tall Tale.
Fast Five with Alexandra Finkeldey:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
One day, I would love to try living in the country. A wooden cabin in the woods or in the mountains, preferably near a lake (I love to swim). I’ve only ever lived in cities. While I absolutely adore the pace and comforts of city life, I fantasize about living a slower life, surrounded by nature. Maybe when I’m older!
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Going outside. No matter what kind of day I’ve had, I can usually lift my spirits by going for a walk around my neighborhood. Lately, I’ve been going for walks without music or a podcast playing in my ears. This helps me pay attention to my surroundings, which include birds, neighbors, pets, gardens, and nature sounds. It feels good to move my body, and it helps me to calm down. As a bonus: I usually get a lot of new ideas for drawings and paintings!
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Lunch! Cooking is one of my favorite activities, and lunch is when I feel most creative and energized. And, since I work from home, I’m able to take my time to make something nice and nourishing (usually involving lots of veggies). While I’m eating, I like to call family and friends. It’s nice to hear their voices and have company while I eat.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
The best concert I’ve ever been to was Fleet Foxes, here in Ottawa, Canada. They are one of my favorite bands! I was lucky to see them in a very small, cozy setting. They played a local music festival on a small stage. It was the middle of summer and the weather was perfect. At one point, the lead singer, Robin Pecknold, sang one song on his own (just his voice and his guitar). The audience was silent as stone. It was such a special experience.
What do you like to do outdoors?
I often say that my favorite thing to do outdoors is: “walk around and look at stuff”. I like to pay close attention to all types of life outside. For me, paying attention looks like birdwatching, mushroom foraging, identifying plants, sketching landscapes, taking photos of trees . . . the list goes on! I also love hiking, camping, gardening, and swimming in lakes and rivers. Since I live in Ontario, Canada, I’m lucky to have access to many natural areas. If you ever see me sitting still and silently outside, I promise I’m not bored. I’m soaking up the sights and sounds, gathering inspiration, and feeling so much gratitude for this beautiful planet.
Books by Alexandra Finkeldey:
On a Mushroom Day
Written by Chris Baker
Illustrated by Alexandra Finkeldey
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774882580 | Tundra Books
A mushroom day is a day of exploring together and discovering some of the most incredible lifeforms on earth: fungi. In this lyrical, informational picture book structured around a walk through a summertime wood, a child and their caregiver share the sights, sounds and smells of the forest as they observe and identify different varieties of mushrooms. On a Mushroom Day encourages curiosity and a love of fungi in young children and normalizes safe, chaperoned joyful exploration of the fungal queendom all around us. Filled with fun, fascinating fungi facts and a visual catalogue of mushroom species so that kids can enjoy their very own mushroom day in the pages of this book!