To Live on an Island

When you live on an island, things are different. Sometimes harder. Sometimes sweeter. Sometimes quieter. Experience a day in the life of a child growing up on a Pacific Northwest island in this beautifully written and illustrated picture book.

Off the coast of Washington State rise hundreds of small islands. Some are lush and green. Others are rugged and rocky. And each has its own personality.

Many islands are home mostly to deer, but quite a few have farms and fields, schools and stores, and people.

What is it like to live on an island?

Award-winning author Emma Bland Smith explores what it's like to grow up on an island in the Pacific Northwest from the perspective of a young boy, who wakes up to the sound of a ferry horn, hikes through the woods to get to his bus stop, drops crab pots for dinner, and falls asleep counting orcas instead of sheep.

This book celebrates what's special about island culture and includes a brief nonfiction element on each spread that relates to the narrative."A wide-format book in a style and subject matter reminiscent of Robert McCloskey's old favorite Time of Wonder, this picture book describes life on an island in the San Juans, off the Washington coast. . . .  A heartfelt snapshot of a way of life."--Kirkus Reviews


"I would recommend To Live on an Island to kids who like nature and to anyone who loves beautiful illustrations."--Kids Book BuzzEMMA BLAND SMITH is a librarian and writer living with her family in San Francisco. Her children's book debut, Journey: Based on the True Story of OR7, the Most Famous Wolf in the West, won the 2017 Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award for children's literature, and the 2017 Cook Prize, which honors the best STEM picture book published for children aged eight to ten.

ELIZABETH PERSON's unique illustrations and informational art are her specialties. She grew up exploring the San Juan Islands with her family, regularly flying on island in a 1959 Piper Comanche airplane. During the summer and holidays, you'll find her at many of the Pacific Northwest art festivals and urban craft events.