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L.D is the second youngest of ten children raised by their mother who worked 3 jobs to provide for them and ensure they lived their dreams. LD. attributes her gumption and “never give up” attitude to having such an amazing role-model. Growing up in the East-End of Toronto during the 70’s, in the area which is now called Leslieville, L.D. says there was no shortage of amazing eclectic people and experiences to feed her imagination and develop her love of storytelling.
A lifelong storyteller was born after L.D. created an, on the spot, story to cheer up her little sister Shelley at summer camp. L.D discovered she not only succeeded in cheering her sister up but she also made her laugh with abandon; in that moment L.D. knew she wanted to be an author someday. She knew that she just had to be a part of the world of writing if it could accomplish such an amazing feat as to change how someone felt. For better or worse since then L.D. has been known as the story teller among family and friends.
As often transpires, despite L.D’s aspirations life got in the way of her dreams for a time and though she spent countless hours writing or telling stories for the children she worked with or cared for and those in her family, her dream of officially becoming a writer was put on hold until recently.
L.D Cullen writes children’s books with a twist; all the heroes in her books are differently-abled!
L.D found that differently-abled main characters were often underrepresented in children’s books so she set out to remedy this herself. She wanted to offer books that differently-abled children could identify with, books that had main characters who were differently-abled much like they were; books that all children could enjoy and picture themselves between the pages of. L.D strives to write books that will inspire all children to focus on what they “Can Do” not what they “Can’t Do”, helping them to see their own uniqueness as a badge of honor and something to embrace, not be ashamed of. L.D says her characters have CAPER-bilities and her goal is to “Break Down Barriers with Books”.
L.D. Cullen herself is no stranger to overcoming adversity in her life. Being born with genetic and learning differences and later becoming wheelchair bound after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis in 1993 hasn’t limited her drive to accomplish the goals she sets for herself. She has gone on to work with children, become an animal behaviorist, training horses and service dogs for children with disabilities. L.D is a disability advocate and worked with and developed programs for special needs children and with open custody youth at risk in the probation and youth services field. She has been a public speaker on motivation, diversity and disability access and awareness, speaking at various venues, including large venues such as the PNE and CNE as well as for companies such a Motorola and General Mills. In 2001 L.D. was awarded a Provincial Recognition Citation for her development and implementation of the disability awareness event “Wheel or Walk in Another’s Shoes”. Her first published book “The Case of the Peanut Butter Bandit” demonstrates her understanding that adversity, disability and barriers of all sorts can be overcome through a bit of creativity, stick-to-itiveness and belief in oneself.
L.D currently resides in the picturesque Georgian Bay Cottage Region with her husband Bernie, their four dogs, Radar, Kona, Beacon, L.D’s service dog Aikido, a small flock of heritage chickens and a cat named Sox who is often referred to as “The Mutant Chicken” as he has a propensity to spend his days hanging out with the flock.
L.D is a member of the “Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators”, “SCBWI Canada East” and “Kid Literature Group”. She is a proud supporter of “The Children’s Book Bank”
Reviewed by Jack Magnus for Readers' Favorite
The Case of the Peanut Butter Bandit is volume 1 of The Ability Kids and K9's Agency, a children’s mystery series written and illustrated by L.D. Cullen. Taylor and Sam are the human members of the AKK9, the Ability Kids and K-9 Agency. Their dogs, Aikido and Chase, help them solve the mysteries that come their way. Taylor uses a wheelchair to get around, and his support dog, Aikido, helps him with his newspaper route and sleuthing. Sam and her seeing-eye dog, Chase, make up the rest of the team. Taylor’s young neighbor, Bobby, cries easily, but he’s even more upset than usual. Someone’s taken Hobo, his teddy bear. Taylor and Sam promise that they’ll track down the thief and get Hobo back in no time at all. Their first suspect is Luc, Bobby’s older brother, who has a history of hiding Hobo from Bobby as he thinks Bobby’s too old to be playing with a bear.
L.D. Cullen’s children’s mystery, The Case of the Peanut Butter Bandit, is an exciting and entertaining children’s book. It’s a lot of fun following the sleuths as they hone in on the culprit, and Cullen’s masterful illustrations make the story really come alive. The pictures are beautifully drawn and brightly colored, and after a while the AKK9 crew seemed like old, familiar friends. I love codes and crypto-clues and was thrilled to discover the coded message that their friend, Mr. M, sends them and the deciphering key in the back of the book. I also enjoyed reading how the service dogs and the Ability Kids work as an independent team. The Case of the Peanut Butter Bandit is a great children’s mystery. It’s got an exciting plot and superb illustrations, and it’s highly recommended.
