Burt?s an orphan, but no regular orphan; he?s an orphan of time and space after a cosmic accident left him stranded on earth, or so he says. Lydia is an older woman who has adopted Burt. Together they tell a tale of home and belonging from two different perspectives.
John Martz is a cartoonist and illustrator in Toronto, ON. He is the creator of the wordless online comic strip Machine Gum, and the illustrator of several picture books including Abbott & Costello?s Who?s On First? (Quirk Books, 2013). His comics and illustrations have appeared in The Globe & Mail, MAD Magazine, Lucky Peach, Canadian Notes & Queries, and ku_! He won the 2013 Ignatz Award for Outstanding Story for his comic book Gold Star (Retrofit Comics, 2012). His book, A Cat Named Tim and Other Stories, was shortlisted for The Governor General?s Literary Awards and was nominated for the Eisner Award for Best Publication for Early Readers (up to age 7).
This is a book of the sweetest optimism. ?You?ll understand when you?re older? is a familiar refrain to anyone who remembers their childhood, but Burt understands plenty, in his own way. He would be baffling if not for the patience and love of someone who cares for him, trying to see what he sees. - Kate Beaton, Hark! A Vagrant
