Esther J Hildahl

Esther J. Hildahl always knew she would write a children's book someday and, from the time she was a child, she knew it would be about frogs. After she retired from teaching in elementary school, she wrote and illustrated her first book, Meadow Pond, a story of frogs, a frog-eating snake, and some mean Red Boat kids. After doing battle with a black spider in her kitchen one day, she wrote her second book, Mr. Inky:Spider with an Attitude, the story of a spider who comes to live in a girl's bedroom and won't leave, even after she tries to do him in. This book won a Northern Lights Book Award in the Pre-Teen Fiction category( 2019). Inspired by her mother who loved to grow tomatoes , she wrote and illustrated her third book, Marie's Marvelous Tomato, the story of a lonely girl and her unusual tomato. One day, she discovered a dead bluebottle fly on the floor of her back porch. She picked it up, admiring its beautiful blue color. Suddenly it came alive, flapped its wings rapidly and flew away. Right then, she knew her next book would be about a bluebottle fly and its name would be Poopie. Poopie the Fly and Friends was her fourth book and because the character Mr. Inky from her second book was so popular with children, she made him a character in this story, too. Esther has been married to her husband, Bob, for many years. He loves her books and helps her sell them at the many craft fairs and book signings they go to. Charlotte is their beloved black toy poodle. Most of her life, she has lived in Spokane, WA, but has also lived elsewhere for short periods of time, including Germany. She has many hobbies, but enjoys writing for children the most.