• Age: 4 to 8
• Grade: p to 3

Kate loves going to Highland dance class each week and is thrilled when her teacher suggests she compete at the Highland Games for the first time. Kate agrees to practice, but quickly changes her mind when she finds out that dancing at home by herself is not as much fun as dancing with friends in her class. Besides, she figures her dancing is already good enough. Everything will be fine...or will it? A single misstep sets off a hilarious chain of events across the whole Highland Games field in this over-the-top tale.

RIEL NASON is a Canadian novelist and textile artist. Her acclaimed debut novel The Town That Drowned won the 2012 Commonwealth Book Prize for Canada and Europe, and the 2012 Margaret and John Savage First Book Award. It was also shortlisted for several other literary awards as well as longlisted for the 2013 International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award. Her second novel, All the Things We Leave Behind, was published in September, 2016. Riel’s original quilts have been exhibited across Canada including being shown twice at Quilt Canada (the National Juried Show). Nason grew up in Hawkshaw, NB, and now lives in Quispamsis, NB, with her husband, son, daughter and cats.

Riel Nason's profile page

Nathasha Pilotte is a Quebec city native who lives in St John, New Brunswick, where she dedicates herself exclusively to her creative work. She likes to watercolor and paint in her studio, under the careful supervision of her cat Luna and pug Chuck. Author and illustrator of Zim s'imagine, Luna n'aime pas and Luna The Cat Doesn't Like That, she also illustrated La bonne idée! with Bouton d'or Acadie. Over the years, Nathasha has become a favorite of book fairs, with her needle felt puppet creations!

Nathasha Pilotte's profile page

• Winner, Alice Kitts Memorial Award for Excellence in Children’s Writing (New Brunswick)

“This high-spirited and rollicking tale captures the festive energy of the traditional Highland Games, noting the various elements from the caber toss to the wool-spinning demonstrations, and from the Celtic music to the kiltmakers. All of these and more become part of the merry mayhem as the errant sword that Kate accidentally kicks leads to complete chaos. “The story is light and humorous and features lively, expressive watercolour illustrations that cheerfully depict the havoc that Kate wreaks. Loose lines and sketchy outlines, along with exaggerated facial expressions and cartoony characters lend a further air of whimsy. “The rhyming text suits the playful tone of the tale…words and images combine to create a frolicsome tale of hilarity and hijinks, one where the main character learns her lesson, but isn’t too fazed by it all.” —Lisa Doucet, Woozles Children’s Bookstore, Halifax, Nova Scotia