Paula Henson
Children’s Books
Teaching and writing are right up there with ice cream and naps for Paula. Her passion is to increase young people’s awareness of the world. Paula writes fiction and narrative nonfiction picture books and middle grade.
She allows her curiosity to pull her down the rabbit holes of her interests (environmental issues, history, water systems…her ancestry). More than the “who, what and where” she wants to highlight the “how” and the “why”.
Paula’s award-winning debut picture book Who Needs a Forest Fire? was a recipient of a Nautilus Silver Award, an Indie Excellence Award and Skipping Stone Award in 2021. It was commissioned as part of the Forest-Fire Project. Published under Terra Bella Books, it has been used as an educational tool and has earned praise from classroom teachers.
REVIEWS OF WHO NEEDS A FOREST FIRE?
“[e]ye-popping, captivating and brimming with educational facts . . . a brilliant, and beautifully-illustrated factual reading that should appeal and resonate to a wide range of ages…” ”
— Youth Librarian, Truckee Library
““…the perfect complement to my fourth grade curriculum! Not only does it bring awareness of the importance of forest fires and how the Native Indians used fire productively, but this informational book gives another perspective to the effects of the gold rush on California’s environment. This picture book is filled with interesting facts, beautiful illustrations, and many additional resources. Every teacher needs a copy of Who Needs a Forest Fire in their class library!”
— Mrs. Yonemura, 4th grade teacher, Los Angeles
