Jessica Lawson is the critically acclaimed author of The Actual & Truthful Adventures of Becky Thatcher, a book that Publishers Weekly called "a delightfully clever debut" in a starred review, and Nooks & Crannies, a Junior Library Guild Selection and recipient of three starred reviews. She is also the author of Waiting for Augusta (winner of the Colorado Book Award), Under the Bottle Bridge, and How to Save a Queendom. Her debut picture book is Ablaze, a biography of the nation's first female wildfire-fighting smoke jumper. You can visit her at JessicaLawsonBooks.com.

Sarah Gonzales was born in Saudi Arabia and grew up in Alberta. She graduated from the Alberta College of Art and Design with a bachelors of visual communication design majoring in illustration. Since then, she has worked in games, editorial, and book illustration. Sarah is the Ezra Jack Keats Award-winning illustrator of The Only Way to Make Bread, written by Cristina Quintero. She lives in Montreal, Quebec.

"Smoldering, warm-toned illustrations combine multiple scenes on each page with a dynamic flow. Visuals evoking a fast-spreading blaze are enhanced by Lawson's lyrical prose . . . A scorching tale of one woman's unstoppable courage and fiery grit." --Kirkus Reviews

"In this resonant story, conserving nature, protecting communities, and demanding equal opportunity unite." --Publishers Weekly

"A satisfying and timely offering." --Booklist

"Evocative of watercolor and pencilwork, the smudgy, blurred art in vibrant colors of blazing reds and oranges nearly radiates heat off the page . . . A reminder that persistence even in the
face of what seems insurmountable is essential as the climate crisis grows." --BCCB

"Gonzales's textured illustrations swirl together both cool forest greens and blues and the warm tones of fire but never grow too scary--the darkest, most intense hues are reserved for reflecting the fuel of Shulman's frustration and determination: 'Inside, Deanne was ablaze.'" --The Horn Book

Publisher: Bound to Stay Bound Books

Pub date: 2025-07-01

Length: 33 pages