When the only dog in Belleville feels left out and decides he wants to be more like a cat, he soon discovers the value of his own unique identity.
Written and Illustrated by: Amy and Aurora Shi
About Amy Shi: Born in Beijing, Amy Shi spent the first few years of her life in China, before moving to Canada with her family when she was 2 years old. After attending elementary school and junior high in Edmonton Alberta, Amy is currently a student at Old Scona Academic High School, where she will graduate in 2023. Amy’s hobbies involve drawing, watching movies, and occasionally reading. She is particularly interested in visual arts and film.
About Aurora Shi: In February of 2021 she was approached by her friend Aurora and asked to enter the Diverse Minds Creative Writing Competition as her partner. Together, Aurora and Amy hope to promote messages of cultural diversity and inclusivity to the generation after them, and potentially win money they can save for their future goals along the way. Recent events occurring around the world helped inspire the story that Amy and Aurora decided to create and share for Diverse Minds. They were specifically motivated by anti-racism movements, such as #BlackLivesMatter, #StopAsianHate and #ProtectAsianLives.
When Aurora saw a poster for the Diverse Minds Creative Writing Competition on her school’s bulletin board, she was motivated to participate because she wanted to share her appreciation for cultural diversity and inclusivity with a younger generation. Aurora hopes that her work will inspire people to be proud of their culture and to accept others. With hate crimes against Asian people in North America and the rest of the world on the rise due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Aurora seeks to educate others and foster the acceptance of cultural pluralism in our communities.
8.75 x 8.75 x 0.3 inches. Hardcover picture book with full colour interiors.