Room for More

Michelle Kadarusman grew up in Melbourne, Australia, and also lived many years throughout her father’s homeland of Indonesia before moving to Toronto in 2000. Her books have earned numerous nominations, including the Governor General’s Literary Awards, the Ontario Library Association Silver Birch Awards, and the Green Earth Book Award. Her novels include The Theory of Hummingbirds, Girl of the Southern Sea, and Music for Tigers. Her first picture book, Room for More, published in 2022. Michelle lives in Toronto, Canada and Byron Bay, Australia. Maggie Zeng is a children’s book illustrator, graphic designer, concept artist, and animator. Born in Montreal, she attends Concordia University and previously received the Outstanding Achievement Award in Applied Arts Technologies at Dawson College. Maggie loves making story-driven illustrations that convey a feeling of adventure and wonder through fun characters and magical environments. Her first picture book is This is the Boat That Ben Built.

Praise for Room for More 2022 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens SelectionFOLD Kids “2022 Summer Reading List” Selection2022 Quill & Quire “Our Environment: A Helping Hand” Feature2022 Picture Books, Eh “Environmental Refugees, by Michelle Kadarusman” FeatureDr. Larry Recommends “Ten Picture Books, June 2022” Feature“A sweet and simple cautionary tale, with a tip of the cap to the spirit of altruism.”—Kirkus Reviews“Rating: 4… There’s a lot to think about in this picture book… readers will be able to make connections to real circumstances… This story could be part of a classroom study of Australia, climate change, drought, or cooperation.” —Youth Services Book Review“The messaging around welcoming refugees is subtle but also important… With adorable characters, important themes, and lovely illustrations, this is a cute picture book that children will enjoy.”—YA Books Central“Room for More can supplement a unit about inclusiveness and friendship and is a good read-aloud. Recommended”—CM Magazine“This charming story connects young readers both with real-life creatures and events found in Australia and with the universal concept of neighborliness…an educational and uplifting story about how friendship and open mindedness can unite a community…and it is a unique addition to library collections for young readers.”— Children’s Literature-CLCD“Amazing…this is a good book to share: to learn ‘in a fun way,’ to enjoy, and to be together.”—Friends Journal“Room for More is a nice picture book about kindness and helping others and it introduces young (and old) readers to some of the fascinating animals who live in Australia.”—Simcoe.com“This adorable story of generosity and opening your doors for those in need is very timely. At a time when we are experiencing environmental displacement and wars, it's a good reminder that when we open our homes to those in need you never know how that generosity will manifest itself in the future.”—Storytime with Stephanie“In her dedication, Kadarusman thanks those “who open their hearts, homes, and borders to those in need,” which is a pretty powerful statement…The book is super cute – both the story and the illustrations – and I love how, in the end, Scratch feels good about helping others in needs.”—Book Time“I know teachers will love to share this story with their students whether for STEM lessons…or for character education centered on empathy and goodwill…at its heart it is a sweet story that goes beyond teaching by captivating readers and transporting them to other worlds.”—CanLit for LittleCanadians“Michelle Kadarusman is one of my favorite authors-her words are so beautiful and the way she develops a story and the setting is great. I am so glad she has a picture book to share with the world.”—Mrs. Book Dragon“This was a heartwarming story about taking care of others!...The illustrations really captured the emotions in each scene….This book would especially be great for older readers, and can lead into discussions about…the impacts of bushfires on animals & their habitats.”—Mrs. Makes Reading Fun (Goodreads)