About the Author

Susea Spray, a retired Junior Primary and Reading Recovery Educator, now cruises the world in a sailing yacht with her husband. She writes realistic children's picture books about a boat, a girl, and the sea. Her first book, 2022 Literary Titan Award winner and 2021 Page Turner Awards Finalist, A Big Blue Boat, was launched in March 2022. As a child, Susea's head was always engrossed in a book. It really wasn't surprising when she chose to make teaching lower primary her career.Majoring in English and Children's Literature, Susea spent 23 years making literacy learning fun for her young students. Her favourite time of day was sitting down with a story or two and immersing her young students in the world of books.It was a sad day when health issues brought her classroom teaching to an end. Subsequent training as a Reading Recovery Teacher offered a solution and opportunity to continue working in the education field. A new passion was found as she entered that special world of working with struggling readers on an individual basis. Watching those children blossom as readers - and in confidence - made her heart soar. However, it was not to be, as her health proved a stumbling block for a second time. There was no option, but to retire.Susea had always written in one form or another and a decade ago she, and her husband, commenced on an around the world sailing odyssey. Their travels were recorded on their sailing blog. Over the decades, Susea had always desired to enter the world of writing for the young. As she recorded the sailing journey, notes and ideas for children's picture books were taking form. At long, long last, she had found her passion and a voice - the stories were busting at the seams! Susea was now able to share her love of language and sea with young and old through the eyes of a Big Blue Boat and her Captain. Realistic sailing stories for the young, particularly girls, were born.A Big Blue Boat was her inaugural story and launched in March 2022. A 2022 Literary Titan Silver Award winner and 2021 Page Turner Awards finalist, A Big Blue Boat is a cumulative story about a boat, a girl, and the rollicking frolicking sea.Two sequels are with her dear friend, and Artist, Lesley Cybulka for illustrating and several new stories underway.In her spare time, Susea also loves to research, cook, photograph, quilt, embroider, walk, and work on her sailing blog.

Reviews

'A simple title for a book that delivers a lot of value in a picture book. The author employs rhyme, alliteration, onomatopoeia, descriptive adjectives, and sentence building to offer a host of learning opportunities for toddlers and preschoolers.The words are associated with the colors that represent them, each page adds more text so that as the book unfolds readers repeat and reinforce the learning. At the end of the book a glossary is included to remind young readers exactly what those "hard words" mean.The female captain is a role model for young girls unaccostumed to seeing females heading up the captain's job.This book is one that will be read over and over, each time reinforcing and building upon the learning that has already taken place.Highly recommended for parents, teachers, and librarians who work with toddlers and preschoolers.' Barbara Mojica
'My daughter (aged 3) and I attended your reading a few weeks ago. At the time I was drawn to the musicality of the book and the beautiful illustrations.We bought a copy on the day. It has since become a favourite bedtime story. My daughter must pick up on the musicality too, as she asks me to "Sing the words" and not "read the book" as would be her normal request. It's not the best choice for a bedtime story however as she can't help but mime the story or dance about!Thanks for the lovely story.' Jennie, Parent