Mrs. Sue Fliess loves sharing all of the different places her work as a children’s book writer has taken her, including countries as far-flung as Thailand and Vietnam. On May 19, her travels brought her here to Waterloo, where she had the chance to meet the students of Skoi-Yase Primary School and talk to them about her books and how STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) education influenced her work.

“At the end of the day, STEAM is problem-solving,” says Mrs. Fliess, who has written more than 50 children’s books that explore STEAM subjects. “There are so many ways you can apply STEAM to your writing as well, beyond nonfiction books. I always make sure I’m using real science in my stories.”

Many of Mrs. Fliess’ picture books center around her love of nature and wildlife. She treated the students at Skoi-Yase to a reading of her book Cicada Symphony, which provides a colorful look at the anatomy and life cycle of cicadas.

“To be honest, I wasn’t sure if anyone would buy a book on cicadas since they’re kind of weird,” Fliess told the students of Skoi-Yase. “When you’re passionate about something and want to write about it, you’ll find an audience.”

Mrs. Fliess’ visit came on the heels of a school-wide insect study. Through a collaboration among the Art, Library, and STEAM Lab programs, students participated in nature observations, insect-inspired artwork, research activities, and 3D insect design and printing with support from Technology Director Mr. Coleman.

Mrs. Jean Ritter-Gaylord, a teacher at Skoi-Yase Primary School who specializes in visual arts and STEAM education, coordinated Mrs. Fliess’ visit and connected it to ongoing arts, literacy, science, and technology learning taking place throughout the school year.

“I wanted our students to hear from someone who shares their curiosity and passion for learning,” says Mrs. Ritter-Gaylord. “Mrs. Fliess showed our students how creativity, science, and problem-solving can come together in meaningful ways.”

Mrs. Fliess concluded her visit by signing copies of her books for the students to bring home.