Shannon Cartwright
Shannon Cartwright came to Alaska in 1972 after graduating from college. After working a year in the field of advertising in Ann Arbor, Michigan she was drawn north by the stories she had heard as a child from her grandmother, Esther Scheubel, a famous public health nurse who spent 14 years in the Alaska “bush”.
Cartwright expresses her love of Alaska through the numerous children’s books she has illustrated. There are more than one million books in print illustrated by Shannon Cartwright. Her books not only provide a colorful and entertaining story line, but also serve the purpose of teaching kids about Alaska: the land, the people, and the wildlife. Cartwright is uniquely qualified for the job.
For the last 35 plus years she has lived in Alaska, most of which have been spent living in the “bush” far-off the road system. She thrives on living a simple life – hauling water by backpack, heating and cooking with wood, and lighting her work area with solar energy. “Everything takes longer”, she says, “like I have to ski 14 miles just to pick up the mail, but it is fun and sometimes challenging!”
