KELLY JONES has been a librarian and a bookseller and is a raiser of (much-loved but fairly ordinary) chickens. She is now a novelist and the author of Unusual Chickens for the Exceptional Poultry Farmer; its sequel, Are You Ready to Hatch an Unusual Chicken?; a ghost story called Sauerkraut; and the feminist Regency romp Murder, Magic, and What We Wore. You can find her at her website, curiosityjones.net, or on Twitter and Instagram at @curiosityjones. KELLY MURPHY is a New York Times bestselling author-illustrator and recipient of the E. B. White Read Aloud Award. She teaches illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design and lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her husband and their many animal companions. You can find her at KelMurphy.com and on Twitter and Instagram at @yllekyhprum.
The boppy and lighthearted tone keeps it from veering into overly sentimental. Gentle and expressive black-and-white illustrations add emotion and texture to the novel. --Kirkus Reviews Jones believably depicts Fiona as the child of an addict, with a blend of knowledge and naivete that keeps her from seeming precocious or sentimental. The book's lower-stakes conflicts--a baking competition, Great-uncle Tim's hidden art--are treated with as much gravity as the bigger issues, making for an emotionally satisfying read. -- The Horn Book Jones's portrayal of a girl shouldering far too much responsibility is sympathetic, and it's refreshing to find a young heroine whose trusted social services network steers her in exactly the right direction. -- Bulletin