A hilarious picture book character has hit the scene! Meet Billie: she's wily, she's precocious, she's funny and she will not take no for an answer . . . but even Billie has to make new friends sometimes!Billie is relentlessly resourceful. Nothing can keep her down!
Band has no instruments? Easy. She’ll make some.
Bike tire flat? Piece of cake. She’ll take her boom box go-cart instead.
Moving away from her best friend? No problem. She’ll just create a new one!
TA-DAA! His name is RoboCorn, and he's a majestic robot unicorn capable of deep conversation, jumping over the sun and making pancakes. What more could a person need? Certainly not human friends . . . right?
Prepare to meet a lovable and irrepressible new character certain to take the world by storm. No one can resist Billie, and RoboCorn . . . well, RoboCorn is truly one of a kind. Definitely in a good way. For sure.
On sale: April 14, 2026
Age: 3-7 years
Grade: Preschool - 2
Page count: 40 Pages
ISBN: 9781774884041
José Avelino Gilles Corbett Lourenço is a Toronto-based writer and filmmaker. His debut feature
Young Werther premiered in TIFF’s Special Presentations section, was longlisted for for the Vallée Discovery Award, acquired by Lionsgate, and released theatrically around the world. A former
Toronto Star columnist whose writing has appeared in
McSweeney’s, Hazlitt, the Globe and Mail, and National Post, he now works across film, television, publishing, and advertising. His wife and two daughters believe this bio would be 10% stronger if it were 10% shorter.
James Braithwaite is an illustrator, animator and writer, who lives in Toronto with his lovely wife and two little sprogs. James’ work has been nominated for an Oscar, was presented at the Guggenheim, and won an Emmy. An Emmy is alarmingly sharp, and is great for holding bananas. James currently spends all his time in his studio softly muttering at his watercolour palettes. He’s fine. But you should probably bring him a bagel.
"The 'ink, watercolor, sweat, tears, and blood' that (per the copyright page) went into Braithwaite’s playful, scribbly artwork shine, as do the abundance of visual gags and turns of phrase that’ll make even grown-ups reading aloud chuckle. Friendship made easy — and fun."
—Kirkus Reviews
"There’s so much packed into this dainty story. . . . The images evoke a spirit of doodling and childlike fun. . . . This story packs a punch."
—School Library Journal
