Gold Leaf

After getting an MA in early childhood education from NYU, Kirsten Hall taught both preschool and elementary school for several years while writing learn-to-read books for Scholastic and engaging in the book world in many other ways. Today, Kirsten is the sole proprietor of Catbird Productions, a book packager and boutique literary agency. The Jacket, her debut picture book, was a New York Times Notable Book of 2015. This is her second book. Matthew Forsythe was born in Toronto and grew up in London, England. He has lived and worked in Dublin, London, and Seoul. After publishing his first books (Ojingogo and Jinchalo) with Drawn & Quarterly, he moved to LA where he worked as a head designer on "Adventure Time" for Cartoon Network. Matthew now lives in Montreal where he designs for animation and makes picture books and comic books.

Winner of the 2018 Bull-Bransom AwardSelected for The Globe 100: The Globe and Mail's Best 100 Books of the Year 2017One of the "12 Picture Book Recommendations for the Young Ones in Your Life" from Orion Magazine"The animals in Kirsten Hall's picture book The Gold Leaf occupy a forest of shadows and dappled light, of 'jungle green, laurel green, moss green, mint green, pine green, avocado green, and, of course, sap green.' In Matthew Forsythe's breathtaking illustrations, we see creatures respond with wonder and cupidity as autumn's arrival reveals a single, gleaming gold leaf. 'Each wanted it more than anything in the world,' we read of a fox, deer, mouse and others. 'But who would get it first?' Though competition tears the leaf to fragments, this is not a fable of greed but of gratitude, with rich, mystical illustrations that will stir the young reader's heart."