Colleen Paeff

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Desiree
372 books | 68 friends

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260 books | 80 friends

Danielle
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Jo
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Luan
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Colleen Paeff

Goodreads Author


Born
October 30

Website

Twitter

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Member Since
August 2010

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Colleen Paeff is the award-winning author of The Great Stink: How Joseph Bazalgette Solved London’s Poop Pollution Problem. A lifelong Californian, she received a Bachelor’s Degree in set design for theater from California State University Fullerton, before becoming a bookseller, preschool teacher, and newspaper columnist. (She never did become a set designer!) Eventually, she figured out how to roll books, kids, and writing into a career as a children’s book author, and now she gets to share her enthusiasm for books and learning by visiting with students both at home and abroad. Colleen is a Robert F. Sibert Honor recipient and winner of the Golden Kite Award for Nonfiction Text for Young Readers. She lives in Los Angeles, CA with her husb ...more

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Colleen Paeff If I'm having trouble writing I switch over to learning. I read books, watch webinars, listen to podcast interviews and eventually the writing comes b…moreIf I'm having trouble writing I switch over to learning. I read books, watch webinars, listen to podcast interviews and eventually the writing comes back.(less)
Average rating: 4.36 · 1,001 ratings · 251 reviews · 4 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Great Stink: How Joseph...

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4.35 avg rating — 899 ratings — published 2021 — 5 editions
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Firefly Song: Lynn Frierson...

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4.48 avg rating — 101 ratings — published 2025 — 3 editions
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Rainbow Truck

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it was amazing 5.00 avg rating — 1 rating — published 2023 — 2 editions
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Pufflings Fly Free!: A Resc...

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0.00 avg rating — 0 ratings3 editions
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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Published on August 30, 2024 13:49

Colleen’s Recent Updates

Colleen rated a book it was amazing
A Geoduck Is Not a Duck by Candy Wellins
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I learned so much and laughed so much, while reading this book! I'd never heard of a Geoduck (pronounced gooey duck) before, but I've definitely seen their squirts of water on the beach. This was such a fun way to introduce them to young (and old!) r ...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime! by Mia Wenjen
Boxer Baby Battles Bedtime!
by Mia Wenjen (Goodreads Author)
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A must-buy book for new parents! It’s fun and funny and it really does sound like a boxing match. Even better, there’s a glossary of boxing lingo! This is my new go-to gift for baby showers and toddler birthday parties. So! Much! Fun!
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
World More Beautiful by Angela Burke Kunkel
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Some books are so lovely, so lyrical, you wish you could live inside them forever. This is one of those books. Lilting language and soft, stunning art full of color and pattern combine to create a book that transports readers to a world so comforting ...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
Outdoor Farm, Indoor Farm by Lindsay H. Metcalf
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Many books for children focus on the traditional farm (think Old MacDonald) but in this delightful rhyming picture book, the author contrasts the more familiar outdoor farm with the indoor farm of the future (though they are very much in use today!). ...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
The Quiet Forest by Charlotte Offsay
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Adorable. Cozy. Comforting. Funny. This book has it all! Kids will love the combination of action, humor, and onomatopoeia, while adults will appreciate the representation of cooperation, kindness, and community in the surprise ending. Highly recomme ...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
AlphaBot by Vicky Fang
AlphaBot
by Vicky Fang (Goodreads Author)
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Alphabot is so much more than an Alphabet book! It’s an interactive toy that lets readers swap robot heads, bodies, and legs with every page turn, while learning simple definitions for some of the parts that make a robot work. Some of the words that ...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
Rainbow Shopping by Qing Zhuang
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There is so much for kids to love about this book! The illustrations are fun and colorful and full of small details young readers will devour. The story (the main character is dragged along on a shopping trip with mom) is one every child can relate t ...more
Colleen rated a book it was amazing
The Glass Pyramid by Jeanne Walker Harvey
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A fascinating behind-the-scenes look at how I. M. Pei designed the Louvre Museum’s glass pyramid, The Glass Pyramid not only shows readers how Pei overcame problems of concept, design, and building, but also how he gained a wary public’s trust. Young ...more
Colleen wants to read
Prophet Song by Paul    Lynch
Prophet Song
by Paul Lynch (Goodreads Author)
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Colleen rated a book it was amazing
Milkweed for Monarchs by Christine Van Zandt
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Milkweed for Monarchs is the perfect blend of whimsy and information. Whimsy comes from just-right rhyme and illustrations full of flight and vibrant color. Then, there’s an added layer of text that gives readers detailed information about the life o ...more
More of Colleen's books…
“Writing is a miserable, awful business. Stay with it. It is better than anything in the world”
Ann Patchett, This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage

“It makes you wonder. All the brilliant things we might have done with our lives if only we suspected we knew how.”
Ann Patchett, Bel Canto

E.L. Doctorow
“Writing is like driving at night in the fog. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.”
E.L. Doctorow, Writers At Work: The Paris Review Interviews, 2nd Series

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25x33 One Thousand Picture Books — 32 members — last activity Jan 25, 2016 12:14PM
We're here to cheer each other on in an attempt to read 1,000 picture books before 2016 ends. If you'd like to set a smaller goal for yourself that's ...more
16993 Mock Caldecott 2026 — 1572 members — last activity Nov 02, 2025 07:04AM
A discussion group that reads, suggests, and enjoys current children’s literature, while searching for next years Caldecott Award winning books.
16663 Mock Newbery 2026 — 3174 members — last activity Nov 12, 2025 06:41PM
A discussion group that reads, suggests, and enjoys current children’s literature, while searching for next years Newbery Award winning books.
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