Children's author visits elementary school

Students at Julius A. Wendt Elementary School heard Vancouver resident and author Andrea Renaisse read her story “Cowlick” last week.

The story itself took only 20 minutes to write, Renaisse said, but it was three months before she had the final product ready for print.

Most ideas come from silly stuff and thoughts. “There is too much seriousness in the world,” she said. She got the idea for “Cowlick” after a comment from a co-worker about his “crazy hair.”

Renaisse, 37, said she began writing about eight years ago but has been making up stories since kindergarten. As a child, she saw “Where the Wild Things Are” author Maurice Sendak read his story to her class and she then knew she, too, wanted to be a writer.

Renaisse does all her own illustrations.

“It’s my first love,” she said. She liked the writing; that was always fun, but she said she loves to draw. “I draw all the time.”

Renaisse has been illustrator to eight books and author to one. She has nine published books with her name. She in the process of writing a chapter book and is ready to illustrate her latest creation, “Farmer Brown’s Busy Bed.”

Earning her Masters Degree from Central Washington University, she majored in education and minored in teaching. Eventually graduating from Pacific Northwest College of Art, Renaisse now works as an advertising and graphic artist.

There is no fee to bring Renaisse to the schools to read her story, and she visits about 20 schools a year, which she said she really enjoys. It’s like she gets to be a teacher without all the other stuff involved, she said.

“This is my fun job,” she said, “my vacation from my real job.”