Deborah Kerbel is the award-winning author of more than thirty books for young readers, including Fred & Marjorie, winner of the Forest of Reading Yellow Cedar Award and the Red Cedar Award, and Sun Dog, a Forest of Reading Blue Spruce Honour Book. Her books have been shortlisted for the Governor General's Literary Award, the Canadian Library Association's YA Book Award and the Rocky Mountain Book Award, among others. Deborah was born in London, England, and raised in Toronto, where she now lives with her family.

Udayana Lugo is a self-taught illustrator of mixed heritage. She is passionate about representation and tries to portray people of different backgrounds and abilities in her work. She works both traditionally and digitally, with a strong preference for watercolors and pencils. She has illustrated more than fifteen books, for both Canadian and foreign publishers. Udayana lives and works on the traditional, ancestral and unceded land of the Musqueam and Squamish Nations, also called Richmond, BC.

"Offers a sympathetic portrayal of a character who's eager to maintain personal boundaries yet still wants to embrace her friends in her own way. Lugo's gauche and coloured-pencil illustrations are handsomely rendered and darling."

-- "Kirkus Reviews"

"The cheerful and engaging gouache and colored-pencil illustrations include many humorous touches...Kerbel presents the need for personal space in an entertaining tale that many children will relate to."

-- "Booklist"

Publisher: Orca Book Publishers

Pub date: 2025-03-11

Length: 32 pages