One thing that I have been working on finalizing: my first picture book, How Hope Became An Activist. It will be published one month from today (Aug. 28th) — in the U.K.. It has leap-frogged over another of my picture books, Marisa and the Mountains, which has been delayed because of the pandemic, but should be coming out in November. “Hope” is dear to my heart for several reasons, partly because I have named it after my fiesty Great-Niece Hope who is six. Also, it is based on a skit, “Martha’s Donning of A”wear”ness” that I wrote and performed in at KUC with the Global group and then at the Farmers’ Market on sweatshop labour, on an anti- fashion show that we held with the Council of Canadians here in town, and on our RAFT Refugee and Friends Together refugee resettlement organization. I wrote it long before Greta, believing that kids can make a difference, and it seems even more relevant now with everything that is going on!

-George Johnson