The One about the Blackbird

MELANIE FLORENCE is an award-winning writer based in Toronto. She is the author of the picture book Missing Nimâmâ, which won the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, the Forest of Reading Golden Oak Award and was a finalist for the First Nation Communities READ award. Her other picture book, Stolen Words, won the Ruth and Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award, was shortlisted for the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, and was given a starred review by Kirkus, who listed it as one of the best picture books of 2017 to give readers strength.

MATT JAMES has won many awards for his picture books such as the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, the New Mexico Book Award and the Governor General's Literary Award for Children's Literature. The books he has written include Tadpoles; Nice Try, Charlie!; and his author-illustrator debut The Funeral, which was named a New York Times/New York Public Library Best Illustrated Children's Book. He also illustrated When the Moon Comes by Paul Harbridge; The Stone Thrower by Jael Ealey Richardson; and I'm Afraid, Said the Leaf by Danielle Daniel.