Meeting Canadian Writers and Illustrators of Children’s Books
What inspires the writers of the books your students read? How does an illustrator decide what to draw? Is it true that most authors and illustrators don’t know each other? This column features a different Canadian children’s book creator in each issue and shows you the story beyond the covers.
Most Canadians are familiar with the name Terry Fox. And many students across the country participate in the annual Terry Fox run. Now there’s a new picture book on the shelves which keeps his memory alive. It was written by Denise Dias. I wanted to find out who she is and why she wrote this particular book, so I asked her some questions.
Margriet: You worked for the Royal Ontario Museum and are currently Chief Marketing & Communications Officer for the Terry Fox Foundation. How did you get into writing children’s books?
Denise: I’ve always loved telling stories. Whether I was working at the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), where we brought history, art, and science to life for families, or now at the Terry Fox Foundation, storytelling has always been at the heart of what I do. My career has focused on helping people connect emotionally with important ideas and causes.
Writing a children’s book felt like a natural extension of that work. Children are curious, compassionate, and eager to make a difference when they’re given stories that inspire them. I wanted to create something that would introduce Terry Fox to a new generation in a way that was engaging, accessible, and memorable.
Margriet: How did you first get published?
Denise: My first few books were published by the ROM Press and sold in the Museum’s gift shop. They offered a way for kids to bring a little piece of the ROM home. The idea for T is for Terry: An ABC of Courage came from recognizing that many younger children needed an age-appropriate introduction to Terry’s story. From the beginning, everyone shared the same vision: to create a book for pre-schoolers that was both educational and inspiring. Having the support of the Fox family and Scholastic Canada made it possible to bring the project to life.
Margriet: You have your own young children. Do they inspire the stories you write?
Denise: Absolutely. Becoming a parent completely changed how I think about storytelling. Children see the world differently. They ask wonderful questions, notice details adults often overlook, and aren’t afraid to ask “why?” about anything. My own children remind me every day that the best stories don’t talk down to young readers. They invite them to imagine, ask questions, and see themselves in the story. My children are often my first audience, and if something captures their attention or sparks a conversation at bedtime, I know I’m on the right track.
Margriet: What came first: working for the Terry Fox Foundation or the book you wrote?
Denise: I joined the Terry Fox Foundation first. As I immersed myself in Terry’s story, I was struck by how many children (nearly four million!) participate in the Terry Fox School Run across Canada every year. That inspired the idea for the book. I wanted younger children to know Terry even before they started school and to have a sense of who he was—a determined, compassionate young man who believed that one person could change the world.
Margriet: T is for Terry is structured around the alphabet. How did you come to that decision?
Denise: Alphabet books are often among the very first books children learn from, so it felt like the perfect format for introducing Terry’s story. The alphabet creates a familiar framework while allowing each letter to highlight an important part of his life, personality, or legacy. It also makes the book interactive. Children naturally enjoy looking ahead to discover what each letter represents, and teachers or parents can use each page as a springboard for conversations about courage, perseverance, kindness, and community.
Margriet: Terry Fox’s name has become a Canadian institution, with so many schools across the country participating in the Terry Fox Run. How do you see your book helping keep his name and movement alive?
Denise: Every generation deserves the opportunity to discover Terry’s story in a way that feels relevant to them. The Terry Fox School Run already gives students the chance to make a difference through fundraising, but I hope this book helps them understand the remarkable person behind the event. When children learn about Terry’s determination, his optimism, and his dream of ending cancer, they begin to see that courage isn’t about being extraordinary—it’s about choosing to keep going, even when something is difficult.
Those lessons extend far beyond the Terry Fox Run. If the book inspires even one child to believe they can make a positive difference in their community, then it has achieved exactly what we hoped.
Margriet: Where do your ideas (for other books) come from, and what are you writing next?
Denise: My ideas have come from all sorts of places, including travel and work experiences, dreams, and hilarious conversations with my kids. I love creating fictional worlds and characters, but I’m also drawn to stories about real people because I think those are the stories that stay with us. I’m currently working on a graphic novel about Terry Fox that will introduce his story to older readers in an entirely new format. Graphic novels have become such an engaging way for young people to connect with history, and I’m excited to explore Terry’s journey through that lens.
Margriet: When you do author presentations for children, what do you do? Denise: I try to make every presentation interactive. After reading the book, I invite students to ask questions, think about what courage looks like in their own lives, and share ways they can make a difference in their schools or communities.
I also love talking about the writing process because many children don’t realize that books begin with a single idea. I want students to leave believing that they have stories worth telling, too, and they can start writing now.
I hope my books become valuable resources in the classroom. Whether through T is for Terry, my author visits, or my previous books about the ROM, my goal is always the same: to spark curiosity, inspire meaningful conversations, and help children believe that every one of them has the power to make a positive difference in the world.
For more about the Terry Fox Foundation, check out: https://terryfox.org/
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Margriet Ruurs
Margriet Ruurs is the author of over 40 books for children and conducts (ZOOM) school presentations: margrietruurs.com. Enjoy her travel-and-books blog here: globetrottingbooklovers.com
This article is featured in Canadian Teacher Magazine’s Fall 2026 issue.
