Philippa Dowding
@phdowding.bsky.social
Children's author, poet, musician | Winner of the Governor General's Literary Award & The Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Children's Book Award | Writing & musical stuff | NEW: The Love Song of Mr. Byrd (Oct/2025/DCB) | phdowding.blogspot.ca
"I wonder. I wonder if she’ll be back?" A wobbly start to a new friendship captured beautifully by illustrator Caroline Clarke. Is Bat his friend? Mr. Byrd just isn't sure ... how DO you make friends, anyway? THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD: phdowding.blogspot.com/2025/10/mr-b... #writers #booksforkids
October 30, 2025 at 3:02 PM
"I wonder. I wonder if she’ll be back?" A wobbly start to a new friendship captured beautifully by illustrator Caroline Clarke. Is Bat his friend? Mr. Byrd just isn't sure ... how DO you make friends, anyway? THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD: phdowding.blogspot.com/2025/10/mr-b... #writers #booksforkids
It's publication day for THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD! Welcome, welcome new book, I hope you bring the world a little more love. Sing your song! @cormorantbooks.bsky.social #writers #writingforkids #newbook
October 25, 2025 at 7:24 PM
It's publication day for THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD! Welcome, welcome new book, I hope you bring the world a little more love. Sing your song! @cormorantbooks.bsky.social #writers #writingforkids #newbook
My author copies of "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd"!
"This story is about friendship and love and is for everyone who has ever been moved to sing (or dance, or paint, or write, or celebrate) like Mr. Byrd. I hope he inspires you to hear your own song, & sing it, too." More on the blog!
#cormorantbooks
"This story is about friendship and love and is for everyone who has ever been moved to sing (or dance, or paint, or write, or celebrate) like Mr. Byrd. I hope he inspires you to hear your own song, & sing it, too." More on the blog!
#cormorantbooks
September 29, 2025 at 3:06 PM
My author copies of "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd"!
"This story is about friendship and love and is for everyone who has ever been moved to sing (or dance, or paint, or write, or celebrate) like Mr. Byrd. I hope he inspires you to hear your own song, & sing it, too." More on the blog!
#cormorantbooks
"This story is about friendship and love and is for everyone who has ever been moved to sing (or dance, or paint, or write, or celebrate) like Mr. Byrd. I hope he inspires you to hear your own song, & sing it, too." More on the blog!
#cormorantbooks
Delighted to be signing THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD at Word on the Street, Toronto, this weekend. I'll be at the Cormorant/DCB booth, B11, this Saturday, September 27, at 2:45. Drop by and say hello!
@cormorantbooks.bsky.social #WOTS2025
@cormorantbooks.bsky.social #WOTS2025
September 23, 2025 at 2:24 PM
Delighted to be signing THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD at Word on the Street, Toronto, this weekend. I'll be at the Cormorant/DCB booth, B11, this Saturday, September 27, at 2:45. Drop by and say hello!
@cormorantbooks.bsky.social #WOTS2025
@cormorantbooks.bsky.social #WOTS2025
"A new friend is a scary thing, sometimes."
Here's the lovely back cover of "THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD," (Oct/2025), from DCB Young Readers. The sweet feather is one of 10 beautiful illustrations by Newfoundland artist Caroline Clarke. Booklovers, you can pre-order now! @cormorantbooks.bsky.social
Here's the lovely back cover of "THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD," (Oct/2025), from DCB Young Readers. The sweet feather is one of 10 beautiful illustrations by Newfoundland artist Caroline Clarke. Booklovers, you can pre-order now! @cormorantbooks.bsky.social
August 14, 2025 at 2:24 PM
"A new friend is a scary thing, sometimes."
Here's the lovely back cover of "THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD," (Oct/2025), from DCB Young Readers. The sweet feather is one of 10 beautiful illustrations by Newfoundland artist Caroline Clarke. Booklovers, you can pre-order now! @cormorantbooks.bsky.social
Here's the lovely back cover of "THE LOVE SONG OF MR. BYRD," (Oct/2025), from DCB Young Readers. The sweet feather is one of 10 beautiful illustrations by Newfoundland artist Caroline Clarke. Booklovers, you can pre-order now! @cormorantbooks.bsky.social
Honored to publish "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" (Oct/25), with @cormorantbooks.bsky.social. An independent publisher, all their books are entirely made in Canada!
Written by Canadians
Illustrated by Canadians
Edited by Canadians
Designed by Canadians
Published by Canadians
and Printed in Canada!
Written by Canadians
Illustrated by Canadians
Edited by Canadians
Designed by Canadians
Published by Canadians
and Printed in Canada!
July 26, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Honored to publish "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" (Oct/25), with @cormorantbooks.bsky.social. An independent publisher, all their books are entirely made in Canada!
Written by Canadians
Illustrated by Canadians
Edited by Canadians
Designed by Canadians
Published by Canadians
and Printed in Canada!
Written by Canadians
Illustrated by Canadians
Edited by Canadians
Designed by Canadians
Published by Canadians
and Printed in Canada!
"At twilight, the in-between time, anything can happen."
The first chapter of "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" is now free on Bookmanager.com if you need a little love rn.
The first chapter of "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" is now free on Bookmanager.com if you need a little love rn.
July 13, 2025 at 2:12 PM
"At twilight, the in-between time, anything can happen."
The first chapter of "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" is now free on Bookmanager.com if you need a little love rn.
The first chapter of "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" is now free on Bookmanager.com if you need a little love rn.
Best question at today's online middle-school presentation: "How did the book 1984 influence your dystopia, OCULUM?" Wow. My answer: oppressive and cruel Regulus was influenced by Big Brother. And love and free thought are banned in OCULUM, as in 1984. THANK YOU, fun & such great questions! #writer
June 19, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Best question at today's online middle-school presentation: "How did the book 1984 influence your dystopia, OCULUM?" Wow. My answer: oppressive and cruel Regulus was influenced by Big Brother. And love and free thought are banned in OCULUM, as in 1984. THANK YOU, fun & such great questions! #writer
Spot the Spotted Owl. A little more wrought-iron whimsy from Toronto Island last week! #writingretreat #writer #torontoisland
May 3, 2025 at 3:22 PM
Spot the Spotted Owl. A little more wrought-iron whimsy from Toronto Island last week! #writingretreat #writer #torontoisland
Today in Whimsy: sweet wrought-iron bird art from Toronto Island! Who gets the worm? #ironart #chickadee #Toronto
May 1, 2025 at 3:03 PM
Today in Whimsy: sweet wrought-iron bird art from Toronto Island! Who gets the worm? #ironart #chickadee #Toronto
Time out of the city for writing and a perfect window seat. Happy Saturday! #writer #writingcommunity
April 26, 2025 at 4:10 PM
Time out of the city for writing and a perfect window seat. Happy Saturday! #writer #writingcommunity
Introducing "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" coming Oct/2025 from DCB! A red maple tree branch, a summer twilight, an unlikely friendship, and the sweetest song of all. Press release, media copies, interview/review req & more on the blog: phdowding.blogspot.com #writer #kidlit @cormorantbooks.bsky.social
March 31, 2025 at 4:11 PM
Introducing "The Love Song of Mr. Byrd" coming Oct/2025 from DCB! A red maple tree branch, a summer twilight, an unlikely friendship, and the sweetest song of all. Press release, media copies, interview/review req & more on the blog: phdowding.blogspot.com #writer #kidlit @cormorantbooks.bsky.social
Hurray for Henry's Apple! To celebrate the 16th birthday of my first book, The Gargoyle in My Yard, here's one of the best reasons to write books for young people: when a non-reader becomes a reader ...
phdowding.blogspot.com/2012/11/henr...
#writer #books #childrensbooks #gargoyles
phdowding.blogspot.com/2012/11/henr...
#writer #books #childrensbooks #gargoyles
March 17, 2025 at 4:18 PM
Hurray for Henry's Apple! To celebrate the 16th birthday of my first book, The Gargoyle in My Yard, here's one of the best reasons to write books for young people: when a non-reader becomes a reader ...
phdowding.blogspot.com/2012/11/henr...
#writer #books #childrensbooks #gargoyles
phdowding.blogspot.com/2012/11/henr...
#writer #books #childrensbooks #gargoyles
Actual AI would remind us that ... we put about 2000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day with our Web searches ... and every query to "AI" burns about ten times as much as every Web search. (p. 177)
Can someone (without querying AI) please stop us. 😬😬😱
@timothysnyder.bsky.social
Can someone (without querying AI) please stop us. 😬😬😱
@timothysnyder.bsky.social
March 15, 2025 at 4:50 PM
Actual AI would remind us that ... we put about 2000 tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere every day with our Web searches ... and every query to "AI" burns about ten times as much as every Web search. (p. 177)
Can someone (without querying AI) please stop us. 😬😬😱
@timothysnyder.bsky.social
Can someone (without querying AI) please stop us. 😬😬😱
@timothysnyder.bsky.social
I've always suspected that #picturebooks are the toughest write of all. Now confirmed. It's more about what you don't write than what you do. Here's my daily stack from Toronto Public Library. #writer
March 7, 2025 at 4:10 PM
I've always suspected that #picturebooks are the toughest write of all. Now confirmed. It's more about what you don't write than what you do. Here's my daily stack from Toronto Public Library. #writer
Thanks to The Writer's Union of Canada and their Ontario Writer's in the Schools grant today! WITS supports author's in-school visits with students, and it's a wonderful way to keep us all connected. We'll be talking about FIREFLY, see you soon! #writers #writersinschools
February 26, 2025 at 3:53 PM
Thanks to The Writer's Union of Canada and their Ontario Writer's in the Schools grant today! WITS supports author's in-school visits with students, and it's a wonderful way to keep us all connected. We'll be talking about FIREFLY, see you soon! #writers #writersinschools
Writer friends: have you re-read an older book of yours lately? I just read The Gargoyle in My Yard (2009) for an upcoming school visit. It felt like putting on an old coat and finding a photo of friends, a $2 bill, and a restaurant receipt in the pockets, all familiar yet possibly someone else's.
February 23, 2025 at 6:49 PM
Writer friends: have you re-read an older book of yours lately? I just read The Gargoyle in My Yard (2009) for an upcoming school visit. It felt like putting on an old coat and finding a photo of friends, a $2 bill, and a restaurant receipt in the pockets, all familiar yet possibly someone else's.
A break from the city in Algonquin Park this week, cold, beautiful, and quiet.
February 20, 2025 at 10:18 PM
A break from the city in Algonquin Park this week, cold, beautiful, and quiet.
Dig out the car, or stay in with a book? Such a great weekend to be an introvert.
February 16, 2025 at 4:17 PM
Dig out the car, or stay in with a book? Such a great weekend to be an introvert.
"The soldier's fort is real & there was a battle between U.S. & British soldiers on April 27, 1813. The battle ended when the British blew up the Grand Magazine which resulted in the largest man-made explosion the world had experienced." My author's note from Carter & the Curious Maze (2016). Geez.
February 11, 2025 at 4:43 PM
"The soldier's fort is real & there was a battle between U.S. & British soldiers on April 27, 1813. The battle ended when the British blew up the Grand Magazine which resulted in the largest man-made explosion the world had experienced." My author's note from Carter & the Curious Maze (2016). Geez.
I took up cello at 60! It's been a delight. Highlight: adding cello voice to a guitar ensemble recently.
January 31, 2025 at 4:57 PM
I took up cello at 60! It's been a delight. Highlight: adding cello voice to a guitar ensemble recently.
Went with friends to see Canadian Stage production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" yesterday. We knew what was coming, yet still left eviscerated. On the way home the discussion was: is the play still relevant 60+ years later? Thoughts?
January 26, 2025 at 5:19 PM
Went with friends to see Canadian Stage production of Edward Albee's "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" yesterday. We knew what was coming, yet still left eviscerated. On the way home the discussion was: is the play still relevant 60+ years later? Thoughts?
View from my office window this morning: a wintry #Toronto back alley, dark snow clouds rolling over Lake Ontario. July is out there somewhere, too.
January 17, 2025 at 3:55 PM
View from my office window this morning: a wintry #Toronto back alley, dark snow clouds rolling over Lake Ontario. July is out there somewhere, too.
Spent today looking at sweet illustrations for my next book, a modern fable. I nearly wept, the illustrator did some lovely work. It's been a loooong wait for beauty, friends. More on my new title as soon as we have a cover! Here's my last book cover, OCULUM ECHO, from 2022...
January 15, 2025 at 12:07 AM
Spent today looking at sweet illustrations for my next book, a modern fable. I nearly wept, the illustrator did some lovely work. It's been a loooong wait for beauty, friends. More on my new title as soon as we have a cover! Here's my last book cover, OCULUM ECHO, from 2022...
Q & A with Grade 7 students on Friday, my first for 2025! We're discussing FIREFLY (2021), my middle-grade book about homelessness, poverty, mental health, and hiding in plain sight in a big city. What's changed in 4 years? #writer #writingcomunity #kidsbooks
January 7, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Q & A with Grade 7 students on Friday, my first for 2025! We're discussing FIREFLY (2021), my middle-grade book about homelessness, poverty, mental health, and hiding in plain sight in a big city. What's changed in 4 years? #writer #writingcomunity #kidsbooks