• Age: 3 to 5
• Grade: p to k
• Reading age: 3 to 5

Daisy has more toys than she knows what to do with. In this story, inspired by an Eastern European folktale about a house that's too small, Daisy thinks she needs a bigger bedroom for all the gifts on her birthday list. Her clever mom helps her realize less is more, and Daisy decides to donate many of her things to a Mitzvah Day rummage sale. In the process, Daisy learns about sharing and the satisfaction that comes from choosing what's important.

Growing up in Utica, N.Y., Debby Waldman loved reading so much that she often fell asleep clutching a book. She wanted to write books when she grew up, but she detoured into journalism school at Syracuse University because journalism seemed a safer bet for earning a living.

Since graduating in 1982, Debby has been a newspaper reporter and a freelance writer. She also earned an MFA in creative writing from Cornell University in 1991, and has taught at Cornell, Ithaca College, St. Lawrence University, and Grant MacEwan College. Her writing has appeared in publications including People, Parents, Glamour, Sports Illustrated, Sports Illustrated for Kids, Publishers Weekly, Chatelaine, the Washington Post, and More Canada. She writes a bi-weekly family column for The Edmonton Journal.

Debby's picturebooks are based on Jewish folk tales. Her first, A Sack Full of Feathers, was short-listed for awards in Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan and was named a 2007 Best Book for Kids and Teens by the Canadian Children's Book Centre. Her second, Clever Rachel, was published in October of 2009 and was one of Resource Links' "The Year's Best". Cindy Revell illustrated both books. Debby's third picture book, Room Enough for Daisy, written with fellow Edmontonian Rita Feutl, is scheduled for publication in October 2011.

Debby lives in Edmonton with her husband and two children. She is available for readings and to conduct writing workshops with students of all ages. When not working on one of her many writing projects, she enjoys reading, cycling, baking, attempting to make nutritionally balanced meals for her family, and ferrying her children to music lessons and sports activities. More information is available on her website: www.debbywaldman.com.

Debby Waldman's profile page

Rita Feutl's first words were in German and Hungarian, the languages of her parents who immigrated to Canada. She didn't learn English until she started school in Toronto. When she discovered that she could write those words down and tell stories with them, she was hooked. She became a journalist first, and her stories in national newspapers and magazines have covered everything from art and politics to how to say hello to an elephant. She has a BA in political science from the University of Toronto, an MA in journalism from the University of Western Ontario and a post-graduate diploma in Teaching English as a Second Language from the University of Alberta.
When Rita's not traveling to the Great Wall of China, the pyramids of Egypt or the palaces of Europe, she lives in Edmonton, Alberta, with her family. She is a writer and editor, and has given numerous school readings and writing workshops. Because her family has had four bikes stolen—one of them twice!—Rita has written Bike Thief, about a teen who must steal bikes to pay off a debt. Together with co-author Debby Waldman, Rita has also adapted a central-European folktale to create Room Enough Daisy, about a little girl who wants a bigger room for all the birthday presents she's expecting. Rita's historical novel, Rescue at Fort Edmonton, tells the tale of a kid who time-travels into Edmonton's past to stop a disaster. Rita adores big dogs, good chocolate and everything about soccer. For more information, please visit www.ritafeutl.com.

Rita Feutl's profile page

Cindy Revell planned on becoming an artist ever since her first taste of wax crayons during her childhood in Carrot River, a small town in Saskatchewan. After some very uncreative forays into the working world Cindy realized that she needed to get back to art and went to college receiving her diploma in Environmental Graphic Design. Cindy worked as a designer and illustrator eventually going on to become an award winning freelance illustrator.

Her illustrations have been used on billboards, wine bottles, books, magazines, calendars, furniture, packaging and numerous children's books all over North America. She was nominated in 2001 for a Governor General's award for children's book illustration (Mallory and the Power Boy). Some of her clients are: Adobe, L.A. Times, Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, Better Homes and Gardens, Cornell University, Penguin Putnam, Annick Press, Orca Book Publishers and Scholastic.

As well as being an illustrator, she is an accomplished oil painter. Several years of regular oil painting classes, numerous international and provincial workshops and traveling to view and learn from the old masters as well as her design and illustration training have helped her develop as a traditional realist.

Cindy loves the work of the Flemish oil painters and Spanish artist, Luis Melendez, while her illustration has been inspired by folk, medieval, and eastern art. Her oil painting and illustration are vastly different from one another, the oil paintings tending to be simple and elegant while the illustrations are full of pattern and whimsy. The common element in her oil paintings and illustrations is her use of colour which is always rich and lush.

Cindy is represented by Deborah Wolfe Ltd. See her work at http://www.cindyrevell.com.

Cindy Revell's profile page

[Starred review]"This picture book skillfully tackles the topic of children who want more and more 'stuff.'...Colorful digitally painted illustrations in bright tones outlined in black depict the clutter without overwhelming, and Daisy is cute and expressive with her wide freckled face and pigtails. In a culture that decrees that having more is being more, it is refreshing to find a book that broaches the topic of over-consumption as well as the idea of giving back."

Jewish Book World

"A delightful and inspiring picture book...The story provides plenty of topics for discussion with young children, including how to donate and recycle unwanted items, learning to appreciate what you have and [that] more is not always better...Colourful and whimsical illustrations will capture the interest and imagination of children of all ages."

Edmonton Jewish News

"A wonderful aid for teaching the concept of 'less is more.' Waldman and Feutl imbue the story with a light tone, powerful message, and realistic characters. Revell's illustrations, done in the same colourful, folk-art style as previous collaborations with Waldman...are a treat for the eyes. Readers will enjoy returning to Daisy's busy room and discovering details missed the first time around."

Quill & Quire

"Bright and bold and perfectly engaging. For a book in this format, there is a lot of text and a very well-spun story. There's lots going on here and many reasons for readers aged four to eight to return...The moral here is present but not overwhelming and the illustrations are colorful, bright and offer young readers lots to look at. This is a very good book for young children in every way."

January Magazine, Best Books of 2011

"Great for discussions about greed, entitlement, and charity."

School Library Journal

"Provide[s] plenty of topics for discussion, including how to donate and recycle unwanted items, learning to appreciate what you have and more is not always better."

Kirkus Reviews

"A picture book which shows how living with less can benefit an individual and a community."

Resource Links

"Teach[es] us to declutter and make room for what is really important in our lives...The pictures here are bright and lively...Recommended."

CM Magazine