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Canadian teacher
More than three decades of classroom experience shape the tone and purpose of the Leo books.
About the author
Dave Colquhoun
A Canadian teacher with more than 30 years of classroom experience and a lifelong passion for helping children feel understood, supported, and successful.
Teacher + parent perspective
A personal story shaped by real family experience and classroom insight.
Dave’s story
A real educator writing for real classrooms and families
As both a parent and an educator, Dave recognized the need for stories that explain real-life challenges in ways children can truly relate to.
He began writing Leo’s Sleepover to help teachers, students, and parents better understand Type 1 diabetes from a child’s perspective. Through Leo’s story, Dave aims to build empathy, awareness, and confidence—especially for children learning to manage diabetes themselves or support friends who do.
When he’s not teaching or writing, Dave enjoys coaching youth sports, staying active on the golf course, and spending time with his children, Chris and Kaylee, and his border collie, Lola.
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Parent perspective
The story is rooted in lived family experience, not just abstract explanation.
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Story-first approach
Children connect more naturally when empathy and learning are carried through story.
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Built for conversation
The Leo series is designed to open calm, age-appropriate discussion at home and in class.
Story context
Leo’s Sleepover is the first book in a growing series
It is designed to spark conversation, understanding, and kindness in classrooms and homes.
Leo’s first big question sets the emotional tone of the story.
The story creates room for empathy, frustration, and understanding.