It’s cover reveal day! I’m thrilled to share the cover of One Tiny Bubble! This nonfiction picture book is gorgeously illustrated by Dawn Lo, written by me, and published by Owlkids Books! It’s available for pre-sale now and coming to a bookstore near you in September 2022.
One Tiny Bubble is the true story of LUCA - our Last Universal Common Ancestor. Over 3.5 billion years ago, a few ingredients bubbled together to create LUCA. No big deal? Think again! This one-celled being, which was tinier than a cupcake sprinkle, triggered mighty changes on our planet. You and every unique life-form now on Earth share this one relative, making us all part of one LUCA family.
Grounded in science, One Tiny Bubble is a poetic reminder of our fundamental connection to the extraordinary life around us, and perhaps, among the stars.
Dawn and I can’t wait to share this book with readers in the Fall!
Happy news! My debut picture book Sour Cakes has been selected as an Ontario Library Association Top Ten Best Bet for 2022! I’m so proud to share this honor with illustrator Anna Kwan and publisher Owlkids Books! More Owlkids Best Bets are listed here, including Stephanie McLellan, Zoe Si, Marie-Claude Ouellet, Rogé, Deborah Kerbel, and Angela Poon! Congrats to all! The full list will be announced on February 2. Thanks to the Best Bets committee for all the work they do! You can check out past Best Bets lists for fabulous reads.
I’m thrilled with the positive response to my debut picture book Sour Cakes, illustrated by Anna Kwan and published by Owlkids Books. Since its first review in Publishers Weekly, it has received many lovely reviews that point to the same thing: this book provides a wonderful way into conversations about emotional health and acknowledging difficult feelings with compassion.
“This sensitive narrative shows the significance of empathy in meeting people where they’re at.”Publishers Weekly
“An ode to sibling relationships and how, in particular, a sibling can lift you up when you are in the stormiest, heaviest of moods.”Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
“Empathetically acknowledges children’s big feelings and engagingly models emotional health.”Kirkus Reviews
“A wonderful antidote to … toxic positivity…. An uplifting and meaningful story about difficult feelings, the strategies we use to express them, and a reminder that there are supportive people you can turn to.”Canadian Children’s Book News
“By accepting big, negative emotions without condemning them or dismissing them, this book is great for launching discussions about when and how to express moods and feelings.”School Library Journal
[5/5 Stars] “Sour Cakes, a sensitive story, presents a great opportunity for discussing feelings, how we can express them, and the importance of empathy. Highly Recommended.” Canadian Review of Materials
Happy book birthday to Sour Cakes! Today, I’m celebrating with a lemon curd cake. My hope for this book is that it will reach those who need to read it. May Sour Cakes spark conversations about big emotions that are both sweet and sour.
You can read a BookFlap post titled Sweet & Sour Siblings, where illustrator Anna Kwan and I talk about creating Sour Cakes. BookFlap has fabulous kid-lit content to love and explore. Please check it out and subscribe!
