	Starfall Diana Kolpak Photography by Kathleen Finlay Children’s Fiction / Legends, Myths and Fables / Clowns / Adult Art Ages 6 and up • 48 pages • 10.5 x 8" ISBN 0-88995-469-0 cloth • CDN 19.95 • USA 19.95 The stars have fallen. They are buried beneath the snow. Meera’s need to wake them leads her on a journey through a mysterious landscape that includes ice, water, mist – and a Dream Tree. Along the way to finding the stars, Meera, a clown, encounters a woman carved from wood in a booth, a fellow star-seeker, a mysterious Spinner, a fire juggler, and more. The determination in Meera’s steps and the hope in her heart, along with the support of friends she makes on her journey are all she needs to succeed in her mission to release the frozen stars. The whimsical and at times frightening world through which Meera moves and the fanciful cast of characters that inhabit it are beautifully portrayed through photographs taken by Kathleen Finlay, whose work has been exhibited and sold internationally. “Meera” is the author herself, Diana Kolpak, who truly is a clown, as well as a playwright and theatre director. Photography from Starfall will be exhibited at Toronto’s Rouge Concept Gallery (www.rougeconcept.ca) until January 15. Below is a video trailer for Starfall Reviews: "In Starfall, Toronto performer, writer, and director Diana Kolpak has transferred her considerable theatrical skills to the page. Enlivened by Kathleen Finlay’s striking photography. . . Starfall presents a starkly beautiful, original world. Finlay’s images are sophisticated, fantastical, and unique, though a couple of the photos - such as the person caught by the Spinner in a swath of fabric - may be a little disturbing for younger readers. However, Kolpak's lyrical, melodic prose is reassuring, and in spite of its light tone, the story works on two levels: as a whimsical tale about a clown, and as an allegory for the triumph of courage and belief over evil and darkness." -- Quill & Quire Starred Review Born in Lethbridge, Alberta to a family filled with entertainers and superb storytellers, Diana Kolpak grew up being told she could be anything she wanted to be, so she became a writer, director, and performer who now runs her own theatre company, Whetstone Productions. Her play, Bedtime Stories, is published in Ontario Playwrights: Eight Short Plays. Diana currently lives in Toronto with her husband and, when not on stage or at her desk, can be found happily puttering in her garden. Visit Diana's web site at www.dianakolpak.ca. Dreaming about the stars, Kathleen Finlay had a wish to illustrate a story filled with circus performers. Based in Toronto, Kathleen happily shoots commercial assignments for various publications and advertisers. Her fine art work has been exhibited in Canada and internationally. Kathleen is currently at work on a new book project about a one eyed girl trying to reach the moon. Visit Kathleen's web site at www.kathleenfinlay.com.

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