Dear Stray by Kirsten Hubbard

A prickly kitten and the child who chooses it revel in being kindred spirits while they both learn how to live with their wild side.

When a little girl adopts a tigerish stray kitten from the shelter, her family isn’t sure about her choice. But she can see that she and the kitten have lots in common as they both have a tendency to lash out when they’re uncomfortable. The little girl does her best to be patient and give her kitten plenty of space, treating it the way she likes to be treated. And in doing so, somehow they figure out just the right ways to help calm each other. A poignant text and evocative art make this story about two friends who share the heart of a tiger a standout.

Kirsten Hubbard (kirstenhubbard.com) also wrote the middle grade novels Watch the Sky, Race the Night, and the Secrets of Topsea series (as Kir Fox with M. Shelley Coats), and the young adult novels Wanderlove and Like Mandarin. An author, artist, and freelance writer, she lives in Los Angeles with her prickly little pup, Teddy Fox.

Author Residence: Los Angeles, CA

Susan Gal (GalGirlStudio.com) is the author and illustrator of several picture books, including TWOgether, Night Lights, Please Take Me for a Walk, and the illustrator of the award-winning Welcoming Elijah: A Passover Tale with a Tail. She lives in Berkeley, California.

Illustrator Residence: California