Dian Day and Amanda White discuss new middle grade graphic novel

Here’s my chat with Dian Day and Amanda White about Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge published by Second Story Press.

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Based in Antigonish, Nova Scotia, Dian Day is an award-winning writer, with two novels for adults, ‘The Clock of Heaven’ and ‘The Madrigal’. She is a member of the Hungry Stories Team, a cross- Canada collaboration of food scholars and activists.

Formerly from Toronto but now residing in Vancouver, Amanda White is a multi-disciplinary artist who writes, teaches, and makes art about the environment, sustainability, and climate, with a focus on plants and food. Amanda is an assistant professor at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. Together Dian and Amanda have created the new middle grade graphic novel Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge.

The story of Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge goes like this: “Best friends Mila and Kit spend their days doing fun things: they go to the skate park, play Truth or Dare, and pet the neighbourhood cats. Mila’s favourite thing to do is draw her Shy Cat comics. But Kit’s is probably eating afternoon snacks. The first time Kit went to Mila’s house, he ate three bananas in a row without asking! Mila thinks rude is rude, but her mom says that sometimes, rude is just hungry. When Kit has a meltdown at school over a ‘best before’ date, a bag of apples, and a dented can—Mila realizes there’s something important she might have missed about her friend. And it all starts with their school’s Stuff-the-Bus food drive challenge.”

You can discover more about Dian Day online at DayLetters.ca

You can discover more about Amanda White online at AmandaWhite.com and on Instagram at @thetiniestseed

You can also visit the Hungry Stories website at https://hungrystories.ca/

You can read more about Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge online at Second Story Press and on Instagram at @stuffthebus

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