Monica Silvie practiced law for over fifteen years before returning to her earliest passion, writing for children. She has a certificate in illustration from Emily Carr University of Art and Design and lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind is her first book.

Monica Silvie's profile page

Elina Ellis was born in Ukraine and has a master's in children's book illustration from Anglia Ruskin University. She has illustrated several picture books, including Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind and This Is the Path the Wolf Took. Elina loves wildlife, cooking and a good joke. There is no greater reward for her than a smile on the face of her reader. She lives in Cambridge, United Kingdom.

Elina Ellis' profile page

• Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award, Washington Library Association School Division (WLA)
• 2023-2024 Chickadee Award, Maine Association of School Libraries
• Great Lakes Great Books Award; K - 1 category, Michigan Reading Association
• Winner, Kids' Indie Next List, American Booksellers Organization
• 2023-2024 Kentucky Bluegrass Award K-2, Kentucky Association of School Librarians (KASL)
• 2023-2024 Sunshine State Young Readers Award Jr., Florida Association for Media in Education (FAME)
• Short-listed, Willow Awards, Saskatchewan Young Readers' Choice Awards
• 2023-2024 Picture Book of the Year, Surrey Schools
• Gold Standard, Junior Library Guild
• Joint winner, Best Books for Kids and Teens, starred selection, The Canadian Children's Book Centre (CCBC)

Chickadee: Criminal Mastermind ... is a fine example of edutainment in which young readers are both entertained and informed.—CM Magazine

CM Magazine

... I expect you'll read this book over and over again. There's no crime in that!

The New York Times

... a snappily told picture book, and visually striking, too.

Publishers Weekly