McDERMOTT, Eleni

Personal

Female.

Addresses

Home— Queensland, Australia. Agent— c/o Author Mail, Ages to Ages Publications, P.O. Box 436, Mount Gravatt, Queensland, Australia 4122. E-mail— eleni@fdcqld.org.

Career

Family Day Care Association Queensland, Inc. (family day care and in-home care service), Balmoral, Queensland, Australia, resource and advisory officer. Formerly director of child care center and teacher.

Writings

Tears in a Treasure Box, illustrated by Suzy Brown, Ages to Ages Publication, 2002.

Cranky Granny, illustrated by Suzy Brown, Ages to Ages Publication, 2003.

Contributor of articles to periodicals.

Work in Progress

A sequel to Cranky Granny titled Cranky Granny Shops Till She Drops.

Sidelights

A family day care specialist by profession, Australian native Eleni McDermott is the author of the picture books Tears in a Treasure Box and her more recent effort, Cranky Granny. McDermott's purpose in writing Cranky Granny was to provide children with a humorous look at the human aging process and to hopefully enhance the relationship between today's youth and the elderly. In an article posted on the Ages to Ages Web site, Linda Muller quoted McDermott as commenting: "Childen who get to know or learn more about older people develop more positive attitudes towards aging and learn that growing old is not something to be feared. I want to explore that third-generation connection in a funny yet intimate way." McDermott plans to follow her book with a sequel entitled Cranky Granny Shops Till She Drops.

Biographical and Critical Sources

ONLINE

Ages to Ages Web site, http://www.ages2agespublications.com/ (September 6, 2004), Lisa Muller, "Cranky Grannies."

Aussiereviews.com, http://www.aussiereviews.com/ (January 5, 2005), Sally Murphy, review of Cranky Granny.*