Author(s): Sydney Smith

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I know what it's like to be small in the city...

Being small can be overwhelming in a city. People don't see you. The loud sounds of the sirens and cyclists can be scary. And the streets are so busy it can make your brain feel like there's too much stuff in it. But if you know where to find good hiding places, warm dryer vents that blow out hot steam that smells like summer, music to listen to or friends to say hi to, there can be comfort in the city, too.

We follow our little protagonist, who knows all about what it's like to be small in the city, as he gives his best advice for surviving there. As we turn the pages, Sydney Smith's masterful storytelling allows us to glimpse exactly who this advice is for, leading us to a powerful, heart-rending realisation...

Review: It's a masterpiece of thick, blurry lines and drifting snow, framing a child's solitary yet celebratory experience of urban life. * BookTrust *
As with all the best picture books, the real story begins on the final page. * The Times, Best Books of the Year 2019 *
A stunning piece of work; thank you Sydney Smith. * The School Librarian *
Looking for something a little different for an imaginative child who likes art? Look no further! * The Irish Independent, Children's Books of the Year *
The Canadian writer-illustrator taps into the mind of a child who has lost her cat in this heart-stopping book. It's a sophisticated statement for a child; she knows true love is not possessive. * The Times (Saturday Review) *

Prizes: Winner of Kate Greenaway Medal (CILIP) 2021 (UK).

Author Biography: Sydney Smith has illustrated multiple children's books, including Town is by the Sea, the winner of the 2017 Kate Greenaway Medal, The White Cat and the Monk, written by Jo Ellen Bogart, and the acclaimed Footpath Flowers, which was a New York Times Children's Book of the Year and a winner of the Governor General Award for Illustration. Born in Nova Scotia in Canada, Sydney now lives in Toronto with his wife and son. Find him online at hutten.org/sydney and on Twitter and Instagram as @sydneydraws.