Once I was a tree by Eoin McLaughlin illustrated by Guilherme Karsten

The cover of this book actually says: written by a book (with help from Eoin LcLaughlin) so right away you might guess this will be a funny book and that it is sure to 'break the fourth wall'. Then turn inside and read the dedications - "Dedicated to the book that the tree became GK" "Dedicated to the tree I used to be - The Book." Now take some time to read all the fun annotations on the imprint page. For example, the text says the paper is made from wood grown in sustainable forests and our narrator comments - "that's tree-mendous news".  Beside the illustrator name the narrator adds "his trees are 10/10". And the comment about the publisher name which is Nosy Crow is hilarious. Oh, and do look under the dust jacket but maybe do this after you read this book. Also run your fingers over the cover to feel the texture. There are so many terrific design features to explore in Once I was a tree. 

Now onto the first page:

"Once I was a tree. I wasn't just any old tree. I was a pine tree. I was tall, green and handsome. Don't believe me? Just take a look!"

The illustration shows a photo frame image of our tree as he used to be. Have you guessed what is about to happen? Well first you need to go on the journey from seed to tree via a squirrel's bottom (yes I did say bottom) and some assistance from Barbara the dung beetle. Trees are so tall, especially pine trees, that you will need to turn the book sideways to see its full size. 

Everything goes along happily until one day when someone chops the tree down. 

Oh no "I know. I was fuming."

But all is not lost. The wood is milled and turned into paper and that paper becomes a book - yes this book!

"I'm not tall, or green. But I'm still handsome. And I still smell good. Go on. Smell me!"

This book was published in 2025 (just a couple of days ago on 6th May) and the beautifully designed hardcover edition is a very good price here in Australia. Add this book to your school library and then read it to a group of your young library visitors - they are sure to be chuckling and also amazed. 

Bookseller blurb: Get ready to meet Barbara the beetle and Derek the squirrel who (through the power of poo) help a wise-cracking seed turn into a handsome tree . . . and become a wonderful book! And GUESS WHAT? It's the book that you're holding! A book to be loved, shared and cherished forever. Perfect for fans of Jon Klassen and Oliver Jeffers. Tactile jacket cover with a surprise underneath! Have fun with turn-around pages.

Guilherme Karsten was born and lives in Blumenau, southern Brazil. He studied Advertising and Graphic Design and started his illustration career in animation and fashion industry. In 2010, he illustrated his first children’s book. Since then he’s illustrated more than 30 books from Brazilian and international authors. Leading him to start writing himself and in 2017, “The Ride!”, his first book as an author & illustrator, won the honorable mention at the 2017 Serpa International Picture Book Prize (Planeta Tangerina, Portugal). Take a look at his art. 

Tate Publishing 2020

I previously talked about this book by Eoin McLaughlin:

The Case of the Missing Cake

Companion book:

The Great Paper Caper

Finding books in a library

 

I am working on an IBBY project which involves reading around 140 Australian children's books in order to select one for inclusion on the prestigious IBBY Honour Book list for Illustration.

Here are some past Australian inclusions on this list (for illustration). You can see all previous Honour books here.

Prior to visiting a local public library here in Sydney I reviewed my list and checked the library catalogue for the 77 books that I have not yet read. Of the seventy-seven, forty-eight were held in the library. I was pleased (in some ways) to see twenty-four of these were out on loan. So, I was prepared to spend a few hours reading twenty-four titles from my list.

Now comes my problem. I did not expect the picture books to be easy to locate. Most public libraries here in Australia do not shelve using the book call numbers for picture books. It is all a bit strange because they do go to the trouble to label their books for example E for Picture Book followed by the first four letters of the author's surname so we have E HARR for a book written by Pip Harry. Even though the picture books are not shelved in formal alphabetical order, this library do at least keep them in surname groups - a shelf and bin for A surnames, and B surnames etc. So, I was able to locate nearly all the picture books I wanted although this did take a fairly long time because of this 'disorganised' shelving system. In the end there were only two that I just could not find even though the catalogue told me they were available.

The nonfiction is where this all fell apart. This library does use the Dewey Decimal System - and that is great because I am, as you would expect, completely familiar with this BUT they do not shelve using these labels. The books are put into subject sections which can contain many Dewey Numbers. This is not exactly gentrification but that is the term you might use. Dewey is designed to bring books on a subject together, so I am utterly confused as to why the library has set out their nonfiction in this way. Remember, I did review their online catalogue prior to my visit. Nine of the twenty-four books on my list were nonfiction. When I recorded their call numbers at home I did not realise I needed to add a subject. I thought it would be easy to find [578.47] but alas no. This is a book about animal camouflage. I should have recorded more than the Dewey number - I need to know it was on the shelf of books with the label animals.  The whole nonfiction collection for children in this library is just one short row with four or five book bays but it is almost impossible to quickly locate books using data from the catalogue. A kind staff member did offer to help me but she needed to check the catalogue herself to find the subject label and also view the book cover. I am a trained Teacher-Librarian with over 35 years of experience - I would not have expected to need help locating books in a library. 

To add to this confusion the library also has a classification for Easy Nonfiction and these ARE shelved in Dewey order. Actually, I sighed with relief when I went to this shelving bay. 

I wonder:

1. Do uses/children or adults check the library catalogue? Apparently the adult nonfiction is also shelved with this system.

2. Are library patrons borrowing the children's nonfiction? Do the staff review usage statistics?

3. Do young users simply browse these shelves? Is that their preference?

4. Is anyone monitoring the effectiveness of this arrangement? I was fairly patient but I almost gave up when I just couldn't find a book I needed about trees. 

5. Have they noticed an increase in requests for help with locating books?

I Believe in Unicorns by Michael Morpurgo illustrated by Gary Blythe

"Unicorns weren't actually real, I knew that much. Of course I did. It was quite obvious to me now that this was in fact a wooden unicorn. He had been carved out of wood and painted. But even as I came closer he seemed so lifelike. He looked so much how a unicorn should be, so magical and mysterious, that if he'd got to his feet and trotted off I still wouldn't have been in the least surprised."

Tomas Porec lives in a small town with his parents. One day his mum insists he wait in the local library while she completes her shopping. Tomas is sure he is way to old for the library story time but, in spite of his reservations, he does listen in from behind some shelves.

The library lady tells the story of Noah's Ark and how the unicorns were left behind and after struggling to find land during and after the flood, they transformed into the creatures we call Narwhals. Tomas is totally swept up into the story as are all the children. 

"For some time after she finished speaking a word. It was as if we were all waking up from a dream none of us wanted to leave."

Over the coming weeks Tomas goes to the library nearly every day. 

"Every story she told us, even it was one we'd heard before, held us enthralled. It was the way she told them, I think, as if each of us was the only one she was talking to, and as if each story must be real and true, however unlikely, however fantastical. You could tell she believed absolutely in her stories as she told them."

At one story session the library lady brings out a book that she says is her most special one.

"She held it up so we could all see. It looked rather old and tatty. The spine of the book was heavily taped, and the cover so stained that I found it difficult to read the title. And it was blackened too, at the edges, I noticed, as if it might have been scorched a long time ago."

I gasped when I 'heard' the library lady (now known as the Unicorn Lady) say the title - The Little Match girl. I hoped someone reading the book had not experimented with matches and caused all this damage. No that was not the story she told the children. The Unicorn Lady was a child during the holocaust. The Nazi soldiers burnt all the books from her town and library but her father heroically saved this one. 

All of that was in the past but then the story shifts to the present and war has come again. Tomas sees a plane dropping bombs. His family rush to safety but the library, his precious place, is on fire. Once the planes fly away everyone rushes to help forming a human chain to save the books and last of all Tomas and his father and the Unicorn Lady are able to retrieve the library unicorn. 

This novella sure does 'pack a punch'. Sadly, though, it was published in 2005 and is now long out of print. I do hope you can find a copy in a library. You can read the first few pages here. If you can find a copy of I Believe in Unicorns it would be a fabulous book to read aloud in a family to your children aged 8+. 

Michael Morpurgo pulls on the heart strings in a short book into which he has packed a number of strands, richly woven together. Tomas lives for the outdoors: he hates books, reading and stories. But one day, his mother forces him into the library and everything changes. Tomas hears the magical story of the unicorn and is soon spell bound by its power. Soon, reading and the wonderful stories that unfold before him become central to his life. But things are changing around Tomas too as the distant rumble of war is suddenly brought close to home. When his village suffers a direct hit, he realises what really matters to him. Morpurgo keeps on the right side of sentimentality and creates a sensitive boy hero. Love Reading for Kids

Companion book:

Nour's Secret Library

A few days ago I talked about another book by Michael Morpurgo:  This Morning I met a Whale. My book today - I believe in Unicorns - has a similar format (not quite the same as the cover image at the top of this post) so I wondered if these two books might be part of a series. Alas I cannot find the name of the series I only know they were both published by Walker Books in the UK around 20 years ago. 

This Morning I met a Whale has illustrations by the wonderful Christian Birmingham. My book today is illustrated by the equally wonderful Gary Blythe. Here are three of his books:

The Whales' Song

Other editions of this book have the title Under the Moon

Blurb or endorsement

Image source: Fictionary

There is a half-page article (it is behind a paywall) in our Sydney Morning Herald this weekend written by author and commentator Julia Baird with the title:

Last chapter for blurbs? Bring it on

I do agree with the issues raised by Julia Baird. Of course, her context is adult books, and probably more specifically adult fiction titles. 

Julia Baird says: this "kind of favour trading creates an incestuous and unmeritocratic literary ecosystem that often rewards connections over talent."

My issue here is with the term blurb. Publisher Sean Manning from Simon and Schuster has said his company will "no longer require authors to obtain blurbs for their books."

What Simon Manning really means is authors will not have to send out advance reader copies of their newest titles to their author friends and other influencers from the literary world in the hope of an endorsement which the publisher can then put on the front or back cover of their book.

Oxford Learners Dictionary

I have long railed against this practice of adding endorsements to the covers of children's books. In the case of children's books this is usually aimed at the adults who buy books for children - parents, caregivers, librarians, and teacher-librarians. In early every case I would argue the endorser's name placed on the book, either on the cover or inside the cover, especially on a middle grade novel aimed at a readers aged 9-12, has very little impact or relevance to the child if indeed they even recognise the name. And I would argue often these names also mean very little to parents.

Now back to explaining a book blurb:

Blurbs in Literature: Terminology

Synopsis: A brief summary or overview of the main plot and key elements of a literary work.

Endorsement: A statement of approval or recommendation from a well-known person, often an author or celebrity, used to promote a book.

Excerpt: A short passage or selection from a book that is chosen to showcase the writing style or a crucial moment in the narrative.

Teaser: A short promotional piece designed to generate interest without revealing too much about the plot.

Hook: A compelling or intriguing element within the story or blurb that grabs the reader’s attention and encourages further exploration.

Tagline: A short, memorable phrase or slogan associated with a book, often used for marketing and promotional purposes.

Back Cover Copy: The text on the back cover of a book that includes a blurb, author bio, and other relevant information.

Critical Acclaim: Positive reviews and praise from literary critics or notable publications, often highlighted in a book’s promotional materials.

Logline: A concise one or two-sentence description of a story, focusing on its central concept or unique selling point.

You can read more about how to write an effective blurb here. Teaching children to READ the blurb on a book and later teaching them how to write a blurb is a very useful skill. In my school library I always read the blurb to groups of students when I was doing a book talk and you will know that I often quote the bookseller or publisher or author blurb here on momotimetoread. And also in my former library when I was assisting individual children with book selection I always suggested reading the blurb as an aid to book choice. 

Blurbs are not Endorsements

Oxford Learners Dictionary: Endorsement - a statement made in an advertisement, usually by somebody famous or important, saying that they use and like a particular product

Endorsements, or they could be called testimonials, are an entirely different thing. Here are a few from middle grade books from my own shelves. I do not disagree with the actual endorsements quoted here from these recent Australian titles and these are all splendid books - my issue is with the idea of calling this a blurb:

The Fortune Maker

On the front cover it says:

"A glorious book, rich with historical understanding - Jackie French"

The Midwatch

On the back cover there are four endorsements. Here is one example:

"Gasp-out-loud brilliant. An absolute treasure of a book Katrinia Nannestad"

The 113th Assistant Librarian

On the front cover it says:

"A thrilling, wondrous ride. Sign me up for a library card ASAP!" Jeremy Lachlan

Being Jimmy Baxter

On the front cover it says:

"A moving story told with moments of absolute delight Morris Gleitzman."

The Librarian's Stories by Lucy Falcone illustrated by Anna Wilson

Take your time with this book - you might notice the spots of colour on the cover. The boy is looking at a lady sitting on a park bench. It is clearly cold because they are both wearing scarves. Then look a little closer. Right in front of the boy is a fence of barbed wire and worse in the background you can see soldiers and a tank. But the boy is smiling and so is the lady on the seat. Is she the librarian?

Now turn inside and compare the front and back end papers. This will give you a strong sense that this story is sure to have a happy ending and that things do change for the people in this community. Now turn to the next page - it is filled with alphabet letters all floating into a dark sky. This image continues over to the title page where we see the young boy from the cover reading a book and significantly walking away from a pile of barbed wire towards some yellow flowers and a small bird. 

The story then opens with a wordless spread. The boy can be seen celebrating his seventh birthday near the city library. Then the scene switches and men arrive with cannons and the library is destroyed. All of those alphabet letters from the previous pages are exploding out of the library which is also on fire. 

"The town I live in is filled with people who are scared - like me. Our lights are out. Our water has stopped running."

In the street the boy sees a lady, the librarian, sitting on a seat reading aloud. 

"Her words carry me back ... to my birthday. Before everything changed."

The beautiful ink and watercolour illustrations are dominantly in grey scale to show the doom and gloom of the town during wartime, but the pops of colour help create a glimmer of joy as readers are taken through the hardships of day-to-day life. The librarian on the bench is seen wearing a bright pink scarf so she is easily visible. Anna Wilson cleverly makes the librarian’s words swirl and flow across the pages as if reaching for anyone who will listen. Readers can see words such as ‘remember’, ‘music’, and ‘stars’, indicating that the stories that are being told are happy and encouraging. Canadian Review of Materials

How lucky was I to find The Librarian's Stories. I was looking for a magazine in a newsagent and I spied a box of picture books almost hidden on a low shelf! I saw The Librarian's Stories - I think I have either seen this in library or read about it somewhere - then came the bonus - it was only AUS$5. I guess it is officially a remaindered book since it was published in 2020.

This story was inspired by Vedran Smailovic known as the cellist of Sarajevo who played his music for 22 days to mark the deaths of 22 innocent people killed after the bombing of a bakery during the Bosnian war. A second theme, as explained by Lucy Falcone, is to honour the thousands of libraries that have been destroyed over the centuries. Watch the trailer. And you can see inside this book here. 

"Millions of books have been burned in the senseless violence of war. Many rulers in the past, and the present, feel threatened by stories, ideas and knowledge. They know that books can change people. They know that books can change the world. To them, this is dangerous. They don't want people to learn, to understand, to think for themselves. They don't want people to remember their history."

Companion titles:

The Lady with the Books

Nour's Secret Library

Vanishing Colours

Tomorrow

I previously talked about this book illustrated by Anna Wilson:

Love Birds

The 113th Assistant Librarian by Stuart Wilson

"My name is Hieronymus Finch-Thackeray, and I think you are splendidly suited 

to become the 113th assistant librarian. What say you?"

You might like to begin here with my previous post about The 113th Assistant Librarian - which I wrote after hearing the author Stuart Wilson and before I read his book almost in one sitting!

"My dear boy, books are powerful ... They are more than simple bound pages. Books may record the past, predict the future, or hold the darkest of secrets. At their best they are societal equalisers. At their worst ... well! Words can teach the truth as easily as they can spin a lie. And that's not even considering that which lurks between the lines. The knife of interpretation is paper-thin, yet it cuts through minds with the slightest of pressure. Underestimate books at your peril."

Oliver Wormwood has found his calling. He will now work at the library but on his very first day the librarian dies. There is no one else who can run the library so Oliver must step into the role and learn how the run the library and keep the borrowers happy and keep himself safe from the very dangerous books and he must do this very quickly or he too might end up dead!

I have said this before but I marvel at the imagination of some writers. There are so many fabulous moments in The 113th Assistant Librarian - inventive plot twists that made me gasp and smile. 

This book has it all:

• It is a page turner
• It has some laugh out loud funny moments (wait till you encounter the hideous bookworms and that pesky firedrake owner)
• It has a hero you will love along with his two friends Agatha and Ember and a series of cats some of whom are very helpful
• It is set in a library - surely that is enough to tell you it will be interesting 
• There are parts of this story that will resonate with all librarians - such as due date stamps, the power of bookmarks and the need for shelving and classification systems. This made me laugh "He'd been working in the library so long that his idea of a deadly weapon usually comprised a preface, an afterword, and a bunch of pages in between."
• The titles of the various books are hilarious and so inventive - I wanted to create a list of them
• There are moments of great drama and danger
• And this book contains the most amazingly rich vocabulary

Oliver Wormwood is a splendid character. I love his emotional intelligence, his natural ability to understand and embrace how libraries work, his desire to keep the library organised and tidy, and surprisingly, his attention to his own cleanliness.

"He paused to wash the mud off his shirt in the Spellwater Fountain ..."

"He even got into a rhythm when it came to washing his clothes and bedding. Finding a spot in the otherwise overgrown garden that was lucky enough to receive sunlight for a few hours a day, he tied some string from one tree to another to form a washing line ... he did not like to have dirty clothes strewn all over the floor."

Vocabulary: demeanour, impartiality, codex, gauntlet, coffer (small chest), bandolier, imperative, cantankerous, decagonal, dodecagonal, glommed, trepidation, clerestory (a high section of wall that contains windows above eye-level), synchrony, chapodiphobia (fear of octopuses), poultice, exsanguinate, illustrious, ruminate, surreptitiously, filching, kettle helm, text block, Inncunabula, parley and parlay.

I do like the character names.  His sisters are called Heloise, Isolde, Willow, Elsbeth and Octavia. The town where Oliver lives is called Blackmoor-upon-Wyvern. A wyvern is a small dragon so this is most certainly a place filled with magic. If you plan to introduce this book to your students I suggest sharing some of the character descriptions:

"An old man dressed in a long magenta cloak stepped forward. He peered at Oliver over a pair of tiny reading glasses perched on the edge of his long nose."

"(he) came face to face with a tall woman with shoulder-length straight brown hair wearing a cloak of midnight blue. The bronze bracelets poking through her tattered cuffs signaled her power ... "

"An old man stood before Oliver. He had a slight hunch and grey wiry eyebrows so long they might have been about to take flight. ... He was dressed in a threadbare knee-length jacket and breeches and he had holes in his shoes. ... His skin was so pale it could have been made from porcelain."

"Dressed in a sodden cloak of midnight blue, the slim man was average height, with a narrow face and pointy nose. He had a long tuft of black hair growing from his chin that he had knotted into a braid. ... He had light brown eyes that were almost amber, an attribute that was hard to ignore because the man maintained eye contact for a fraction longer than was customary."

"The man was wearing a lurid green cravat which gave the effect of a frog perched on his collarbone."

There will be a second adventure for Oliver by Stuart Wilson- and it is sure to be just as good as this first one.  Listen to an audio sample from the first installment here. In this insightful interview Joy Lawn talks to Stuart Wilson about his book. 

I recommend The 113th Assistant Librarian for readers aged 10+.  It could also be a terrific class or family read aloud. There is an interesting political layer to this story that you could explore with older readers around the idea of censorship and corruption of the populace through knowledge. The 'Member for Upper-Lower Tumbledown Barrows tells Oliver to remove all books about yellow or golden apples - you need to read the book to find out why. I also loved the description on page 183 where Oliver's friend London Llewelyn describes his 'occupational and health' training as an apprentice lamplighter.

This story is such fun for anyone who knows even a little bit about how libraries are supposed to work. ... This is an exciting original fantasy written by a person who loves words, books and ideas. It has the usual middle grade themes of testing yourself, coping with high family expectations, and finding unexpected friendships, but it is also interlaced with some thought- provoking ideas about the nature and power of books, and the need for free access to knowledge. Story Links

I think the CBCA 2025 judges must be having a very hard time this year deciding on their Younger Readers notables, short list and winners. Here are two others I also loved.

The Midwatch

The scene in chapter 18 of The 113th Assistant Librarian made me think of this wonderful picture book which is sure to be in most Australian school libraries:

Stuart Wilson says: I wanted to set a story in a library because they are such unique places. Anyone, old or young, can walk straight in, spend hours reading or watching or listening – without spending any money. And there are staff on hand to help you, should you need them – magical places indeed!

Other books set in libraries:

The Lost Library

Leeva at Last

Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library

The Mysterious Librarian

Companion books:

Vincent and the grandest hotel on Earth

The Book of Wondrous Possibilities

The Hatmakers (this story also explores Guilds)

Mim and the Anxious Artist by Katrinia Nannestad illustrated by Cheryl Orsini

Mim, Nat (her brother) and dad along with their accompanying menagerie of animals have arrived in Paris with their horse drawn bookshop. Mim marvels at the beautiful city and Nat loves the idea of the Awful Tower, his new discovery of French culinary treats and the way he can find his favourite letter 'S' in just about any situation.

They meet a very talented artist named Pierre. His portrait art is captivating but once a painting is completed, he simply cannot give it away or give it to the person who has paid him. This is one of several dilemmas that Mim need to solve with the help of the seemingly mismatched books her father sells each customer from his bookshop. How on earth can a book about gardening help Pierre? Why does the rich lady need The Happy Handyman? And a book about bridges for a famous chef? Surely not. 

In 2021 I read the first first installment of The Travelling Bookshop series. Such a charming story with yummy cakes and the idea of giving the perfect book to a reader! I picked up this one - book three - at a recent charity book sale. I did wonder if I should have read the second installment first but no, the books in this series do stand alone - but IF you can try to get the whole set and then settled down for a delicious week or two of reading. 

In this video Katrina Nannestad talks about her series. Here is her website. You can see more of my posts which feature books by Katrina Nannestad by clicking on the label the bottom of this post. I also adore the illustrations and bright covers by Cheryl Orsini of this book and all the other titles from the series. 

This series is filled with such hope and whimsy, bringing words and the world to life for us. It is a series that I have been following since the beginning, and I am looking forward to seeing where Mim and her family go next with their wonderful bookshop. It’s such a fun series and readers of all ages will get something wonderful out of it. The Book Muse

This is the newest installment published March, 2024

Bookseller blurb: Mim Cohen roams the world in a travelling bookshop, with her dad and brother and a horse called Flossy. Flossy leads them where she will, to the place where they're needed most ... the place where the perfect book will find its way home. Now Mim has arrived in wonderful Venice, city of canals, palaces, bridges, boats and ... quarrels. Gondolier battles, cat nappings and laundry theft are just the beginning. The Magnifico family and the Forte family are at war. Mim knows they're here to help the feuding families. To show them a better way to behave. To bring an end to the vicious vendetta. If only Mim could find each of them the right book. If only they'd all stop reading the wrong books.

Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar by Emily MacKenzie

 

"Ralfy dreamed about books. In fact he didn't just dream about them ... he wanted to read all the time."

Adults will adore Ralfy's book list with titles such as:

• Around the field in 80 days
• The Secret Vegetable Garden
• The 39 Lettuces
• The Hoppit
• Warren Peas 
• Gone with the Carrots
• The Rabbit, the Fox and the Wardrobe

"He made lists of all the books he had read (and gave them carrot ratings). He made lists of all the books he wanted to read (and placed them in category order). He even made lists of books to recommend to his family and friends."

Now go back and re-read the book title - Wanted!  Yes Ralfy is a book thief. 

"He crept off with comics and cookbooks, dashed away with dictionaries and nabbed novels and pinced poetry."

Did you need a sentence to demonstrate alliteration - surely this one is perfect.

Who is Ralphy robbing?  Young Arthur has tons of books but he notices some favourites are missing. Arthur sets up a surveillance using his camera, notebook, chalk, sticky tape and a torch. He sits up waiting with snacks and his teddy bear for company. Late that night Ralfy arrives he takes yet another book and hops away. Arthur tries to tell adults what has happened but no one believes him especially not the police. 

Luckily for all the book owners though, Ralfy makes a big mistake. Unluckily for Ralfy the next house he tries to rob belongs to PC Puddle - the policeman Arthur had phoned earlier. The police use a lineup of rabbits wearing 'I love books' T-shirts and a conveyor belt of carrots and books to identify the thief. 

Ralfy is found - and he confesses but all Ralfy really wants is lots of books. Arthur (and every reader) has the answer. Ralfy needs a library card!

This book was published in 2015 but it is still available. It would be a good addition to your school library and a fun book to read at the start of the year as you are encouraging your students to use your library, read and borrow often! Here is the website for Emily MacKenzie. She lives in Scotland. Here's a video of Emily reading her book Wanted! Ralfy Rabbit, Book Burglar.

MacKenzie’s text is sweetly amusing without being precious, and smart without being over-the-heads of children. Her watercolor and ink illustrations provide a pleasant, cartoon-like background to her story. The pictures perfectly accompany the text on the page without distracting from the plot. When you stop to appreciate the sophisticated ease of MacKenzie’s writing and illustrating style, it is hard to believe this is a debut book. The Children's Book Review

MacKenzie combines story and illustration with brightness, action, and intrigue, keeping the pace moving while endearing this fluffy burglar to readers. Much of the illustrative humor is geared toward older bookworms, with famous titles adapted to long-eared persuasions: Warren Peas, for example, and The Rabbit with the Dandelion Tattoo, ensuring that adults will stay as engaged as little listeners will. This will be a raving favorite for fans of books about books as well as older readers who can appreciate the library humor. Kirkus review

There are three books in this series - the newest one The great library rescue will be published in April, 2024.

Beware! Ralfy Rabbit LOVES books. He loves nothing more than finding a quiet spot and reading. But things aren't so quiet anymore … Rodney, Ralfy's new baby brother, is making sure of that. And when Ralfy discovers a huge bite-mark hole in one of his favourite books, things go from bad to worse. Who could be behind the biting? Ralfy Rabbit is determined to find out!

Help! Ralfy and his little brother Rodney LOVE reading - so when they hear that their local library is closing down, they know they have to do something. According to the librarian, it would take a magic dragon to save the library - so Ralfy, Rodney and their friends set off to find one! Will Ralfy find the magic dragon? Or is there - just maybe - another way to bring the town together and save the library for everyone?