Ellen Rooney – illustratör

★ “Soft, warm hues fill each page, underscoring the warmth of a family that is big enough to welcome ‘more us’ while also honoring Uncle Gray’s agency. A sensitive and powerful look at a complex topic. Recommended for all collections.” — School Library Journal (SLJ), starred review

The day has come—Uncle Gray is finally moving in!

His nephew stands waiting for him out on the porch, and when Uncle Gray arrives, the boy is surprised his uncle only has one little backpack. Uncle Gray has been living on the streets for years, and the boy remembers how he and his mom used to go driving to look for him, especially during the winter. Sometimes they'd find him in his tent, with ice in his beard. He was always glad to see them. Now that Uncle Gray is ready to move in, he'll have his own cozy room, and the boy is glad to know they won't have to go looking to check if he's okay. Because he'll be right downstairs.

This gentle and compassionate story about an unhoused family member is based on the author's family experience and is a follow-up to the story told in The One with the Scraggly Beard. Also available in French as Plus de nous.

Praise for The One with the Scraggly Beard:

“A complex topic painted with care and told with empathy.” —Kirkus Reviews

“A powerful book…Models what respect and human dignity looks like for all community members.” —Toronto Star

Dans ce tendre album illustré, qui fait suite à L'Homme à la barbe hirsute, un garçon est content que son oncle vienne vivre avec sa maman et lui, après de nombreuses années à vivre dans la rue.

Perfect for fans of STEM, this inspiring picture book biography tells the extraordinary story of pioneering astronomer Maria Mitchell.

Maria longed to travel beyond her small island of Nantucket. But she wasn’t sure how. Her father taught her to look to the stars for guidance. If you knew how to read them, he said, the stars could tell you where you were, and where you needed to go. They spent hours scanning the night sky together through a telescope on the roof. Maria learned how to use astronomers’ tools to measure and track time by the stars. But what could she do with her skills? Then, one day, she heard that a prize was being offered to the first person to find a new comet. Could this be the opportunity she was waiting for?

This absorbing picture book biography by Laura Alary tells the fascinating, though not well-known, story of a remarkable nineteenth-century woman scientist and women’s rights advocate. After winning that prize for discovering a comet, Maria Mitchell would go on to become the first professional female astronomer in the United States, first female member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and one of the first female college professors. Beautifully illustrated with lovely textured artwork by Ellen Rooney, this is a well-told story with a teachable STEM component, supporting both science and social studies curriculums, that supports a growth mindset. It’s also a wonderful guide sure to inspire readers to find their own way in the world. It includes backmatter that further describes Maria’s impressive life and achievements.