MARILYN METS & PETER LEDWON

Click on any of the thumbnails below to enlarge, or
to see the illustrations by Marilyn and Peter's illustrations
as part of the TLA portfolio,
click here.

Marilyn Mets has been working in Toronto as an illustrator, art director and graphic designer for over 25 years. She has illustrated and collaborated on numerous children's books, winning many awards and nominations including being nominated for the Amelia Frances Gibbons Award for Illustration in 1998 for Cameron and Me.

Peter Ledwon has worked as a commercial photographer, illustrator, graphic designer, and art director for the past 15 years. He gained formal training in photography at Ryerson University. In addition, he holds science degrees in physiology and biochemistry from U.B.C. Peter also writes for both magazines and newsletters targeted at the adult market.

Peter and Marilyn have combined their talents as a synergistic creative team (and as co-Art Directors for Today's Parent Toronto magazine), collaborating in the production of children's books for publishers in North America and the UK. In 2001, their illustration of Waiting for the Sun was nominated for the Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award and in 2004, they were awarded the Alberta Book Illustration Award for In Abby's Hands. Marilyn and Peter have served as illustrators' reps for CANSCAIP (The Canadian Society of Children's Authors, Illustrators, and Performers.)

Published:

Mia's Secret
Tundra, in conjunction with The Gatehouse®

In Abby's Hands
Red Deer Press (Can) 2003 written by Wendy A. Lewis

• 2004 Alberta Book Illustration of the Year Award
• 2004 CLA Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award, Notable Book

Waiting for the Sun
Red Deer Press (Can) 2001 written by Alison Lohans

• Our Choice 2002/2003 Canadian Children's Book Centre
• CLA Amelia Frances Howard-Gibbon Award Nomination

Bedtime
Richard Owen Publishers (US) 2001

So Sleepy
Richard Owen Publishers (US) 2001

Just a Little Later
by Henry Shykoff - Natural Heritage Publishing 2001

Good-Bye, Tonsils
Viking (US) 2000 - written by Juliana Lee Hatkoff and Craig Hatkoff

Midnight Math written and illustrated by Peter Ledwon and Marilyn Mets
Holiday House (US) 1999, Scholastic 2001

• Named by Smithsonian Magazine as a notable book for 2000

Once Upon a Time Long Long Ago
by Henry Shykoff, Natural Heritage Publishing 1999

Marilyn Mets -

Cameron and Me
Stoddart (Can) 1997

Have A Heart
Somerville House Books (Can) 1997

Little Goalie
Random House (US) 1997

The Dough Book and Kit
Somerville House Books (Can) 1996

The Birthday Wish Mystery
Troll Associates (US)

The Baseball Birthday Party Step into Reading
Random House (US)

November Boots
HarperCollins (Can) 1994

Halloween Book
Somerville House (Can) 1994

Kick the Can
Somerville House (Can) 1994

Quotes:

About Mia's Secret

“Books to help kids face adversity: When a “trusted” adult makes Mia promise not to tell anyone about their “secret game,” she feels frightened and powerless. One in four children will experience sexual abuse: This powerful story offers children a way to gain control and get help.”
     - Today's Parent

“Writers for the very young have a very difficult line to walk with this topic. The trick is to give kids the information they need in a way that does not undermine their sense of personal power and their trust in a basically good world... Mia is a little girl with a purple teddy bear and a secret. Something happened and Mia is unhappy that she can’t tell her mom. In a flashback we see an adult man–who could be an uncle, family friend, or mom’s partner–engaging Mia in a board game and then in secret keeping. The portrayal of what happens next is emotionally accurate, but not anatomically specific… Equally appropriate for kids who’ve experienced abuse and those who have not, this book tells just what a preschooler needs to know and nothing more. It’s a great spring board for discussion… Best of all Mia is no victim. She’s a smart little cookie that kids and adults will cheer for all the way. ”
     - Carolyn Lehman, author - Strong at the Heart

“...Mia’s story about sexual abuse is painful to read, knowing that a number of children all over the world are and have been sexually abused. However, despite my own difficulty...I did sit down and read the book to both of my children. It was amazing how my children reacted, expressing compassion and offering ideas on how to avoid sexual abuse as well as what to do if sexually abused...No matter how difficult it may be, Mia’s Secret needs to be read. The story needs to be heard. Children need to feel safe and understood, and they need to know that there are some secrets that never should be kept.”
     - Elizabeth Yetter

“Mia's Secret relates a hopeful story exemplifying how abused kids could benefit from the support of a trusted ally, who can assist them in getting help to deal with a threatening and scary situation. At Kids Help Phone, our counsellors often take calls and online questions from young people, like Mia, looking for anonymous and confidential counselling support. We recommend this charming story to anyone who needs help dealing with or understanding the dynamics of sexual abuse, the predatory methods of pedophiles, and, most importantly, the significant role a trusted ally can play in helping to stop abuse.”
     - Donna Hansplant, CYW, BAPsych,
Vice President, Child and Youth Services
Kids Help Phone

“...The illustrations ...are excellent in supporting the story. Mia, her mother and the man have a "doll-like" quality to them. The rooms in the house are uncluttered and appealing. They, too, support the story by showing things to be "normal" so children should be safe when, in fact, Mia isn't. Colours are bold in the action areas and more muted in the backgrounds. The body language depicted in the pictures adds to the emotional impact of the book. The difference in size between the man and Mia is emphasized. For example, the man's hand is huge when he grabs Mia's slight arm from elbow to wrist when he is angry because she has told him to go away so they won't play the secret game....This book can be used by parents and professionals to teach children how to stay safe and prevent being abused or to help a child tell the harmful "secret" if abuse has occurred....Highly Recommended. ”
     - Jeannette Timmerman
CM, Volume XIII Number 8

“As an agency that is dedicated to providing prevention programs to children, I feel this book would be an incredible tool for us to use. It certainly teaches children how to tell their story in a safe manner.”
     - Ellen Campbell,
Founder - Executive Director Canadian Centre for Abuse Awareness

“There is an unfulfilled need for child friendly literature directed at children, which will make them aware of sexual abuse. There is also a need for presentation of the issues which potential victims, and victims have to face in order to deal with sexual abuse, and the difficulty of disclosure. It happens to boys too, put out by the Rape Crises Centre of the Berkshires Press, has been an invaluable aid my working with boys.

In Mia's Secret, a girl is the protagonist.This is appropriate, as about 13.8% of Ontario girls experience abuse before the age of 16. Peter Ledwon and Marilyn Mets clearly outline some of the steps in grooming of a victim who is known to the victim's family. They illustrate the child's emotional and cognitive barriers to disclosure in a way that is understandable to children. They illustrate some of the manipulative ways perpetrators of child sexual abuse keep children silent. Other ways that silence children should be included. The techniques they illustrate are presented in a very child empathetic way.

Their child is lucky as her mother hears the child's first attempts at disclosure. Most children are not so lucky. They make many attempts at disclosure before being heard. Some are never heard. The authors may need to present more in the book about the way perpetrators alienate the parent from the child in order make disclosure more difficult as a part of the grooming. Other ways perpetrators prevent children should be included. Aspects of the process of grooming the victim are well illustrated and presented so that any child who can read, and all parents can understand the process. I would recommend the book to all children and parents of young children, though some children and parents may not want to know about this danger to children.”
     - Harvey Armstrong MD, FRCP(C),
Associate Professor of Psychiatry University of Toronto
President, Parents for Youth: Helping and Supporting Parents

“Written in clear, concise language and endorsed by Toronto Police Services Sex Crime Unit and Kids Help Phone, Mia’s Secret is an important resource for both parents and professionals.”
     - The Gatehouse

“Strong messages can often be delivered in gentle stories. Mia is a little girl with a big secret – a secret that feels wrong, but that she’s promised “him” she would keep. This book offers reassurance and a way out to any child (statistics tell us one in four) who has experienced or will experience childhood sexual abuse. If read in conjunction with a frank but age-appropriate discussion, this book might offer an ounce of prevention or equip children with the language to discuss their own concerns.”
     - Today's Parent Toronto

“Books help kids deal with fears: Peter Ledwon and Marilyn Mets successfully tackle the issue of child abuse in "Mia's Secret" (ages 4-8). Mia is being abused by her mother's friend but has promised never to tell. But she finds a creative solution while not breaking her promise.”
     - Sharon Wootton, The Washington Olympian

“The book is endorsed by The Gatehouse, a Toronto based organization that helps survivors of abuse...This book is an excellent starting point for discussion, and the clear and simple language makes it accessible to all age groups.”
     - My Access Library

About Waiting for the Sun

"Waiting for the Sun is a lovely book. The quietly moving story of a little girl's first meeting with her long-awaited baby brother captures farm life through a child's eyes, while the beautifully-lit illustrations are so evocative they seem to have a life of their own. Expect to read this many times - and still enjoy it!”
     - Holly Bennett, Editorial Director, Today's Parent Group

About Midnight Math

"Pictures pack a pow here:... The illustrations seem to use collage, cutout and computer-generated effects to make a nicely layered look.”
     - Kirkus Review