"The inspiring true story of an unusual 9-year-old who made a difference. [...] A stirring tale of community outreach." - Kirkus Reviews

Nominated for the Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice!

One day, on his way to the store, Braeden Mannering sees a man sitting by the side of the road. He has no home, no belongings, and no food. “Somebody should help him,” he tells his mom. “You’re somebody,” she replies. Braeden thinks about it. Maybe he can help! “Anyone can change the world as long as you dream big.” The true story of a boy who ignites awareness and provides aid for hunger relief in his community. For children ages 5 years and up.

Dianna Wilson Sirkovsky's profile page

Sara Casilda's profile page

Dianna Wilson-Sirkovsky's life has always been filled with books and cats, passions learned from her Grandma Marg and her mother, Isabel. She renewed her love for picture books while reading to her children, inspiring her to write and share stories of her own later in life. Her family and herself are deeply committed to animal rescue and the ethical treatment of all animals. They had nine beloved rescue cats that shared their lives for many years. She works as a senior administrator at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, where she lives with her husband David, who shares great ideas for stories and is her sounding board. Her daughter Laura (who has five rescue cats) gives her great support and honest critiques of her writing! Her son Garrett (with one rescue cat) is a magnet for cats – they are drawn to him like catnip! She takes great pleasure in writing children’s stories inspired by true events, imagination, and the joy of adventure and discovery.

Sara Casilda received a Higher Technician in Graphic Arts and Design in Illustration and also a Bachelor of Arts at the School of Arts and Crafts in Toledo. She did an internship at the newspaper "La Tribuna" in Toledo, where they published the illustration "La Custodia" for Corpus Day in 2014 on the cover of its special edition. The passion for the arts led her to a professional career through various disciplines such as illustration, graphic design, muralism, photography ... Dreaming of embracing, in addition, painting, writing, and traditional and digital animation. The classic and children's editorial illustration, with touches of fantasy and imagination, fascinated her since she was a child. In 2018 she entered the editorial field as an illustrator with the illustrated album 'Naar bed, naar bed', which was a finalist in the KeyColours 2018 competition. Her work is mainly artisan. She uses charcoal, graphite, watercolors, colored pencils ... and she ends up with some digital touches for editing. She loves and values nature in all its being. She is committed to the care and leads a lifestyle that is as conscientious and consistent as possible. From food to the materials she works with every day.

Nominated for the Goddard Riverside CBC Youth Book Prize for Social Justice!

"The inspiring true story of an unusual 9-year-old who made a difference. A succinct present-tense narrative channels young Braeden Mannering’s own unassuming, friendly voice. When the boy notices an older man sleeping on a sidewalk in his Delaware town, he wants to help. So he fills a paper bag with food and water and takes it to the surprised man. But then he wonders about “tomorrow”—days when unhoused people (and others) will go hungry. His mother mentions sources of assistance, like shelters, but Braeden wants to get personally involved. At a soup kitchen, he sees another boy, “just like me—only not as lucky.” Understanding that some students in his own school go lunchless sparks his anger at a patent unfairness. But he has an idea, and a couple of days later, the principal invites him to speak to the rest of the school about his new organization, Brae's Brown Bags (3B), and he recruits funding on social media. His reach expands (as his mother puts it, throwing a pebble into the water causes ripples to spread), and backmatter explains that 3B has now distributed 15,000 bags containing healthy snacks, water, and lists of local resources. Soft-edge, realistic watercolors pair well with this earnest account. Spectacled Braeden and his mother present white; their community is diverse. A stirring tale of community outreach." -Kirkus Reviews