Christina Wilsdon

When I was a little kid growing up on Long Island in New York, I decided to write a nonfiction book about all the animals in the entire world when I was about seven years old. Every. Single. Species. I remember it began with the somber line "There are such things as lionesses." I recall it ended several pages later with only about five or so species covered. Since then, I've written a great deal more about animals, though I still haven't come close to covering all the world's fauna. I live with my family in the Pacific Northwest, where bald eagles nest in the city and orcas surface just offshore. My most recent book is "Swallows Swirl," illustrated by Jess Mason and published by Sleeping Bear Press on March 15, 2024. It follows a girl over the course of a year as she observes the barn swallows who nest in her yard, bids them farewell as they migrate in fall, and welcomes them back in spring. The birds' annual cycle is also reflected in the story's seasonal changes and the girl's own growth over the course of the year. I hope you enjoy it!