Over the Rooftops, Under the Moon

What happens when a bird doesn’t feel like a bird?

Alone with himself, even among his flock, a young bird finds an unexpected connection in the eyes of a little girl. He begins to wonder about the nature of life: What does it mean to be human? What does it mean to be a bird? Swept up in his exploration of the human world, he doesn’t notice that his flock has already migrated south for the season. Written by JonArno Lawson and beautifully illustrated by Nahid Kazemi, this sparse, lyrical story is about community lost and found, and what it means to know one’s self.

JonArno Lawson, a writer who has published many books for children and adults, was born in Hamilton, Ontario, and raised in nearby Dundas. He now lives in Toronto, Ontario, with his wife and three children. Lawson won the Lion and the Unicorn Award for Excellence in North American Poetry four times. He is probably best known as the author of the picture book Sidewalk Flowers.

Nahid Kazemi is a visual artist and author-illustrator with a master's degree in painting from the Tehran University of Art. She has published more than sixty children's books and has received awards for her illustrations in Iran, Canada, and China, as well as nominations for the Canadian Governor General's Literary Award and the Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. She has also taught art and has exhibited her work in Iran, France, Italy, the UK, Lebanon, and Serbia. She lives in Montreal.